Mount Kavachi, an active underwater volcano in the Solomon Islands, has long been home to sharks.
In recent months on satelliteIn NASA images, scientists discovered plumes of discolored water above the volcano—telltale signs of volcanic activity that hint at multiple eruptions. The images were obtained using the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) on board the Landsat-9 satellite as part of the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Centerin Greenbelt, Maryland, shared the news on social media, urging people to “prepare for a shark attack.” The tweet also mentions that Kawachi is "one of the most active undersea volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean."
???? You've heard of sharknado, now get ready for sharkcano.
The Kavachi Volcano in the Solomon Islands is home to two species of sharks. It’s also one of the most active submarine volcanoes in the Pacific, seen here erupting underwater by #Landsat 9.https://t.co/OoQU5hGWXQ pic.twitter.com/vEdRypzlgi
— NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) May 22, 2022
Researchers noticed changes in the color of the water abovevolcano in April and May. But according to a statement released by NASA's Earth Observatory, the volcano likely began erupting as early as October last year. The last major eruptions occurred in 2014 and 2007. Records show that the first recorded eruption of Kawachi occurred in 1939, and subsequent explosions created ephemeral islands.
A previous study conducted by the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that plumes of warm, acidic volcano water typically contain particulate matter, volcanic rock fragments, and sulfur, the latter of which “attracts microbial communities that thrive on sulfur.” During a research expedition to Kavachi in 2015, scientists were surprised to discover that the volcano's crater was also home to two types of sharks—hammerheads and silky sharks—despite the site's turbulent history.
The peak of Kavachi is about 20 m belowsea level. The volcano is located approximately 24 km south of Vangunu Island. It is one of 900 islands formed in a tectonically active zone and making up the Solomon Islands archipelago.
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