Tamu Massif
The Tamu Massif is an extinct submarine shield volcano in the northwest Pacific Ocean.[1] It looks like a hybrid between a mid-ocean ridge and a shield volcano.
In 2013 researchers announced that it could be a single volcano. If true, that would make Tamu Massif the largest known volcano on Earth.
The Tamu Massif was formed about 145 million years ago during the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous period over a relatively short period of time (a few million years) and then became extinct.[2]
Tamu Massif is in the Shatsky Rise about 1,600 km (990 mi) east of Japan. The volcano covers an area of about 553,000 square kilometers or 214,000 square miles. Its summit is about 1,980 m (6,500 ft) below the surface of the ocean, and its base extends to about 6.4 km (4.0 mi) deep. The volcano is about 4,460 metres (14,620 ft) high, standing on the floor of the ocean.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Witze, Alexandra (5 September 2013). "Underwater volcano is Earth's biggest". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2013.13680.
- ↑ J.J. Mahoney 2005. Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary age and mid-ocean-ridge–type mantle source for Shatsky Rise. Geology. 33 (3): 185.
Other websites[change | change source]
- Sager W. 2014. The largest volcano in the World-mid Pacific Ocean. Education Videos, Houston Geological Society, Houston, Texas.