Boiling Bubbles of Vailulu`u Seamount

While diving on the eastern edge of the caldera of Vailuluʻu Seamount, the team on Nautilus was excited to see gas bubbles rising from this hydrothermal chimney, powered by the warm magma deep below. During our exploration the team used a temperature probe on ROV Hercules to collect data about this site with readings up to 213 °C (415 °F). The stream of bubbles will provide important data to scientists onboard studying methane and carbon dioxide concentrations at this spot of volcanic activity. This vent site was last visited in 2019, and studying how active volcanos change over time can be important in understanding the broader history of the Pacific and the entire ecosystem around this large underwater mountain. 

Vailuluʻu Seamount is the only active underwater volcano within the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and one of the important sites of our E Mamana Ou Gataifale II expedition to explore the waters in and around the Sanctuary. 

The E Mamana Ou Gataifale II expedition (NA165) is led by Ocean Exploration Trust and funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Uncrewed Systems Operations Center, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and with support from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Air/Sea Heritage Foundation.