Cobb Seamount: Washington State’s Underwater Volcano

Pacific OceanPhoto byberenice melisonUnsplash

Cobb Seamount is located off the Juan de Fuca Ridge approximately 300 miles off the coast of Washington State’s Gray’s Harbor. The volcano is part of a chain of volcanoes that lie underwater and comprise of chain of volcanoes stretching from Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.

First detected in the 1970s via satellite satellite altimetry, it was explored and mapped out by Pisces IV, DSV Alvin, and others. Sensors were dropped on the volcano through the year 1992. The New Millennium Observatory was quickly established on the flanks of the volcano in 1996.

The underwater volcano erupted in 2011 and again in 2015. It generated lava flows up to 43 feet thick. It produced a mile wide flow of lava. The Cobb Seamount is considered to be a seamount which means that it’s an underwater volcano. Lying just west of the Cascadia subduction zone, it is a fascinating geological study.

One interesting fact about Cobb Seamount is that it acts as a biological center of diversity. It supports a dense oceanic ecosystem of fish. Birds have also been noted in the summit area, which indicates it’s an ideal fishing ground.

There are many interesting species that live in and around the seamount volcanoes. The pinnacle of the volcano is flat and defined by a pocketed area that is approximately 2887 feet by 1893 feet in size. The summit is dominated by Hinnites multirugosus forming at the base of the dense ecosystem of small, sessile organisms and sponges.

The abundance of sea life has made Cobb Seamount an ideal target for heavy fishing as early as the 1960s. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA has concerns that it might be over fished. Unfortunately, it lies outside of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and is thus difficult to monitor and regulate fishing vessels.

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