Incredible Underwater Volcanoes

You would not believe it, but underwater volcanoes (or submarine volcanoes) do exist! They can be formed due to several reasons. Here is the list of some of the incredible underwater volcanoes in the world:

Molokini, Hawaii, USA

Molokini is both an island and an underwater volcano in Maui County, Hawaii, USA. Its distinct crescent shape of the volcano/island is what remained of its formerly fully round-shaped crater. This is a popular destination for tourists, especially for snorkelers.

Morro Rock, California, USA

The Morro Rock is one of the series of volcanic plugs known as “Nine Sisters,” located off the coast of Morro Bay, California. It was formed 20 million years ago from an eruption of an underwater volcano. The lava from which the volcano erupted, formed a solid crust once it came in contact with the sea water, and eventually stuck on the neck of the volcano.

surtsey iceland

Surtsey, Iceland

Surtsey, situated in Iceland, is one of the few examples of an island formed purely from the eruption of a submarine volcano. In 1963, the volcano erupted about 130 meters below sea level. This action caused the formation of the volcano island, which is now located off the main island’s southern coast. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Eldfell, Heimaey Island

Heimaey Island is the biggest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago. It saw its most spectacular volcanic activity in 1973 when a lava flow from Eldfell wiped out half of the town and threatened to close the harbor, which was Heimaey’s main source of income. The volcano lies northeast of the island.

Iwo Jima, Japan

Iwo Jima is a Japanese volcanic island primarily famous as the site of the “Battle of Iwo Jima,” a battle during World War II involving the United States and Japan. It has experienced a number of eruptions and still emits steams and gases.

Brothers Volcano, Kermadec Arc, New Zealand

The Brothers Volcano is an underwater volcano in the Kermadec Arc, situated 340 miles northeast of New Zealand and 1,850 miles below sea level. It is quite enormous because its crater is three kilometers wide and the crater walls are 300 to 500 meters high.

Healy Volcano, Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand

Healy Volcano is an underwater volcano that lies 400 kilometers of New Zealand. Its last eruption occurred c. 1360, which formed an enormous caldera.

nw rota 1 guam

NW-Rota 1, Guam

Northwest Rota or NW-Rota 1 is a Pacific underwater volcano, 100 kilometers north of Guam and 64 kilometers northeast of Rota Virgin Island. This active volcano is one of the most recently discovered submarine volcanoes, as it was first explored in 2003.

kickem jenny grenada

Kick ’em Jenny, Grenada

Kick ’em Jenny is an active submarine volcano lying on the floor of the Caribbean Sea, about eight kilometers north of Grenada island. Kick ’em Jenny is considered so dangerous that there is a five-kilometer safety zone around the volcano to discourage tourists, scuba divers, and snorkelers, so they don’t dare to go near it.

Bransfield Strait, Antarctica

You never thought that a cold region like Antarctica would have any volcanoes, but in fact, it has. The strait features several underwater mountains and volcanoes (seamounts) including the Orca Seamount, which is an inactive volcano.