Beautiful CO2 Bubbles From Underwater Volcano

While diving on the summit ridge of Ahyi Seamount, our ROVs were enveloped by a massive curtain of carbon dioxide (CO2) bubbles emanating from the volcanic seafloor. Ahyi Seamount has erupted five times since 2000, which led the team to return to explore the area for changes. Before the dive, the team onboard E/V Nautilus remapped this shallow submarine volcano within Mariana Trench Marine National Monument. Onboard scientists helped analyze the water column data and identified a massive, distinct bubble plume on the summit ridge formed by recent volcanic activity.

Submarine volcanoes in the Mariana Arc are known to discharge CO2 in the form of bubbles and liquid droplets. But, even our veteran volcanologists were impressed with this scene! Approximately 18 km southeast of Farallon de Pajaros in the Northern Mariana Islands, Ahyi Seamount rises into the sunlit mesophotic depths, where along with the impressive bubbles, the team spotted schools of bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus). This fish is also known as tarakitu in Chamorro and langú in Rafelawash. 

The Mattingan: Mariana Arc Volcanic Exploration (NA171) expedition is exploring deep-sea areas identified by the local management and science community, including sites with signatures of active volcanism, abyssal plain habitats, and areas in and around the Monument where new data can support resource management priorities. This expedition is supported by NOAA Ocean Exploration, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and the US Geological Survey via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.