Tonga · Fissure vent
West Mata
- Type
- Fissure vent
- Elevation
- 1174m (submarine)
- Last eruption
- 2009
- Type
- Fissure vent
- Country
- Tonga
- Region
- Tonga & Kermadec / Northeast Lau Basin Volcano Group
- Elevation
- 1174m (submarine)
- Coordinates
- -15.100, -173.750
- Last eruption
- 2009
- Tectonic setting
- Subduction zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
- Landform
- Cluster
- Major rock type
- Andesite / Basaltic andesite
Geological summary
West Mata, a submarine volcano rising to within 1,174 m of the ocean surface, is located in the northeastern Lau Basin at the northern end of the Tofua arc, about 200 km SW of Samoa and north of the Curacoa submarine volcano.
Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →
From Wikipedia
West Mata is an active submarine volcano located in the northeastern Lau Basin, roughly 200 km (124 mi) southwest of the Samoan Islands. It is part of the Tonga-Kermadec volcanic arc, which stretches from the North Island of New Zealand to Samoa. The volcano was first discovered in 2008 by scientists aboard the R/V Thompson research vessel, using sonar mapping and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to explore the seafloor. At the same time West Mata was discovered, multiple neighboring volcanoes—most of them hydrothermally active—were discovered as well, including Volcano O, Tafu-Maka, Northern Matas and East Mata.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →
Eruption history
1 recordedGlossaryRecord summary
- Confirmed eruptions
- 1
- Uncertain eruptions
- 0
- Span of confirmed record
- 2008 – 2009
- Largest confirmed eruption
- VEI 0 (2008)
- Confirmed eruptions since 1900
- 1
Detailed timeline
- 2008VEI 0Observed2008-11-16 – 2009-05-16Prometheus and Hades vents
Nearby volcanoes
External links
⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.