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researchers have one of the largest super volcanoes in the solar system traced – on earth. Although he is not as high as the 22-mile-high Martian volcano Olympus Mons, but almost as powerful.
divthe largest super volcanoes in our solar system have made researchers in the Pacific identified. The baptized in the name of Tamu Massif rises about two miles from the ocean floor up, and covers an area of ??about 310,000 square kilometers, the researchers announced in the journal “Nature Geoscience.”
Thus it is geographically almost as big as Germany. Tamu Massif, it may even take up almost with the largest known volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons on Mars.
With a diameter of 600 kilometers and an altitude of 22 kilometers of the Olympus Mons is the largest known volcano and also the highest mountain in our solar system.
According to geologists the Martian volcano could also be the only reason why so big because the Red Planet, the attraction is less than on Earth. Mars possessed a similarly wide appeal as the Earth, the giant volcano would sag under its own weight.
largest central volcano in the world
The volcanic formation in the Pacific had been known for geologists – but so far has assumed that it is composed of several volcanoes. With rock samples and seismic sensors, the researchers revealed: “The Tamu Massif is the largest known detached, central volcano in the world.”
There is therefore on earth mega-volcanoes of the proportions of those who were found elsewhere in the solar system, as it says in the report. “The on earth are but little explored because these monsters have a better hiding place -. Below sea level”
So it could be other giants that lie beneath the sea, wrote lead author William Sager. “The largest marine Ontong Java Plateau is near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Solomon Islands is much larger than Tamu -. Has the extent of France.”
Gigantic Lavamengen created the volcano
The Tamu Massif with its “broad and rounded dome” is located about 1,600 kilometers east of Japan. It is formed of solidified magma to an eruption about 144 million years ago.
The shield-shaped submarine mountain could be formed when leaked immense Lavamengen at one point created during cooling and flat, far-reaching connections.
So unlike the shield volcano chain Hawaii there was apparently on Tamu Massif mainly eruptions at a single site. According to Sager, it is unlikely that the volcano is still active.
The Martian volcano Olympus Mons is 22 kilometers with its well indeed much higher, but it’ll take only about 25 percent more volume.
text with the name Tamu Sager turned the honor of the U.S. university, where he taught for 29 years: Texas A & M University. Recently, the researchers moved to the University of Houston.
Photo: University of Houston / William Sager 3D view of Tamu Massif
Photo: google map The position of the submarine volcano in the Pacific
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