Active submarine volcanoes found near Fiji

Several huge active submarine volcanoes, spreading ridges and rift zones have been discovered northeast of Fiji by a team of Australian and American scientists aboard the Marine National Facility Research Vessel, Southern Surveyor.

On the hunt for subsea volcanic and hot-spring activity, the team of geologists located the volcanoes while mapping previously uncharted areas. Using high-tech multi-beam sonar mapping equipment, digital images of the seafloor revealed the formerly unknown features.

The summits of two of the volcanoes, named 'Dugong', and 'Lobster', are dominated by large calderas at depths of 1100 and 1500 metres.

During the six-week research expedition in the Pacific Ocean, scientists from The Australian National University (ANU), CSIRO Exploration & Mining and the USA, collaborated to survey the topography of the seafloor, analysing rock types and formation, and monitoring deep-sea hot spring activity around an area known as the North Lau Basin, 400 kilometres northeast of Fiji.

The voyage's Chief Scientist, ANU Professor Richard Arculus describes the terrain – the result of extreme volcanic and tectonic activity – as spectacular. "Some of the features look like the volcanic blisters seen on the surface of Venus," he says.

"These active volcanoes are modern day evidence of mineral deposition such as copper, zinc, and lead and give an insight into the geological make-up of Australia," he says.

"It provides a model of what happened millions of years ago to explain the formation of the deposits of precious minerals that are currently exploited at places like Broken Hill and Mt Isa. It may also provide exploration geologists with clues about new undiscovered mineral deposits in Australia.

"These deep-sea features are important in understanding the influences that have shaped not only our unique continent but indeed the whole planet," Professor Arculus says.

Such discoveries highlighted man's lack of knowledge about the world's oceans. "We know more about the surface of Mars than we know about the ocean seafloor," Professor Arculus says.

CSIRO's Director of Research Vessels, Captain Fred Stein, says the expedition was a humbling experience. "It was a reminder that at the beginning of the 21st century it is still possible – on what is often regarded as a thoroughly explored planet – to discover a previously unknown massif larger than Mt Kosciuszko," he says.

"We are fortunate that we can offer the scientific capability of the Southern Surveyor to Australian scientists. It's the only Australian research vessel that can provide the opportunity to conduct such valuable research to make these kinds of discoveries possible."

Source: CSIRO Australia

Related stories:

Submerged volcanoes pose tsunami threat
One of the world’s most active volcanic areas is a relatively unknown part of the seabed between New Zealand and Tonga, and could trigger a devastating tsunami at any moment, ANU geologist Professor Richard Arculus warned today.
While relatively little money is available for ocean research, submerged volcanoes pose a significant threat to communities across the Pacific, Professor Arculus said.
Research helps to unlock key to Australian plate movement
(PhysOrg.com) -- New UQ volcano research is helping to unlock the mystery surrounding one of the world's most important tectonic events.
Sweat, luck and eureka: Recipes for scientific discovery
Every week thousands of academic articles heralding discoveries in medicine and science are vetted and validated before being published in no-nonsense journals with names such as "Acta Crystallographica," "Methods in Enzymology," or "Macromolecules".
Towards a better understanding of hot spot volcanism
Most of the Earth’s listed active volcanoes are located at the borders between two tectonic plates, where upsurge of magma from the mantle is facilitated. When these magmatic uprisings occur at a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate plunges under another, they give rise to volcanic massifs such as the Andes cordillera.
The great recycler -- planet Earth
In the current edition of leading science journal Nature, an international team of researchers publishes proof that the Earth recycles portions of its own crust, driving it deep down into the mantle of the planet and then bringing it back to the surface billions of years later.
Planet Earth may have 'tilted' to keep its balance
Imagine a shift in the Earth so profound that it could force our entire planet to spin on its side after a few million years, tilting it so far that Alaska would sit at the equator. Princeton scientists have now provided the first compelling evidence that this kind of major shift may have happened in our world's distant past.
Virtual swimmer to speed up athletes
CSIRO and the Australian Institute of Sport are using mathematics in a bid to speed up our top swimmers by testing changes to swimming strokes. The research will make use of the same software CSIRO uses for other fluid simulations such as animating water for movies and modelling volcanoes and tsunamis. Researchers are hoping to see some practical results in time to implement improvements for the London Olympics in 2012.
What lies beneath: new research looks deep into the centre of the Earth
New research published this week on the evolution of volcanoes sheds light on what lies deep beneath the Earth's surface. The research, published in Nature, suggests that the plume of hot material that provides Hawaii's volcanoes with its continuous supply of molten lava originates from a depth of almost 3000 km, at the border between the Earth's core and its rocky mantle. This is far deeper than had been thought possible by many scientists.

News discussion:

Space & Earth science news