Lost Pacific volcanoes were discovered near the Cook Islands

A volcano chain was discovered, never seen before, near the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The newly discovered structures have already been mapped.

A series of submarine volcanoes It was discovered near the Cook Islands in the Central Pacific, about 4,700 kilometers south of Hawaii – some of which may be active.

The Cook Islands are a group of 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, located between the French Polynesia and the American Samoa. This archipelago was created millions of years ago, when the Pacific plate moved on a magma focus on the earth’s cloak – similar to the way the Hawaiian islands were formed.

Over time, repeated eruptions create a volcanic structure, forming a underwater volcano. If eruptions continue, the volcano grows up enough to break the ocean surface, forming a volcanic island.

The submarine volcanoes now cartographed by the margin of the Authority of the Minerals of the Sea Background (SBMA) were theorized for the first time last year, after being discovered that the ones Rocks of a submerged volcano were only 670,000 years.

The rocks were discovered about 60 km southeast of Rarotongain a volcano called Tama, and it is the younger volcanic rocks discovered in the Cook islands to date.

The team also theorized that, going to southeast of Rarotonga through Tama, there may be several other submarine volcanoes to the sea under the sea, which can also be much younger than those of the other cook islands.

To better investigate these structures, the Artex 2025 expedition was launched, with the objective of mapping the bottom of the ocean in the surrounding area of ​​Rarotonga.

The team found that there were, in fact, a series of smaller structures scattered throughout the sea under the southeast of Rarotonga, including a 1 km high volcano “Pepe”.

“If these structures are volcanically active, the heat they generate may have given rise to a unique and exciting marine habitat nearby“The investigators said, cited by.