West Mata Volcano
Updated: Apr 19, 2024 23:10 GMT -
Submarine volcano -1174 m / - 3,852 ft
Tonga, Tonga Islands, -15.1°S / -173.75°W
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Tonga, Tonga Islands, -15.1°S / -173.75°W
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 14 Dec 2021 (Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report)
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West Mata volcano eruptions: 2009
Latest nearby earthquakes
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Background
West Mata, a submarine volcano rising to within 1174 m of the sea surface, is located in the northeastern Lau Basin at the northern end of the Tonga arc, about 200 km SW of Samoa. West Mata volcano lies about 7 km west of another submarine volcano, East Mata; both lie at the northern end of the Tonga arc, north of the historically active Curacoa submarine volcano. The two volcanoes were discovered during a November 2008 NOAA Vents Program expedition, and West Mata was found to be producing submarine hydrothermal plumes consistent with a recent or lava effusion. A return visit in May 2009 documented explosive and effusive activity from two closely spaced vents, one at the summit, and the other on the SW rift zone.---
Smithsonian / GVP volcano information
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