A caldera is the scar left behind by a volcano, a massive crater formed when the magma chamber beneath it empties and the ground above collapses. More often than not, it’s the remains of a dead volcano. Sometimes, though, it’s a volcano that’s just napping. Which is why it’s slightly unnerving that researchers, who published their findings in Communications Earth & Environment, found 73 previously unknown volcanic calderas hidden beneath Earth’s oceans.
The discovery came after a team led by volcanologist Andrea Verolino of Paris-Saclay University used an AI system originally designed to spot impact craters on Mars. After scanning seafloor maps, the algorithm flagged more than 87,000 possible formations. Most turned out to be false alarms, but after additional filtering and manual review, researchers were left with 78 likely calderas. Turned out that five were already known, leaving 73 entirely new discoveries.
If confirmed, the find would more than triple the number of documented submarine calderas.
The Ocean Floor Is Hiding Dozens of Previously Unknown Volcanic Calderas
Many underwater eruptions are mild, but calderas can produce some of the most violent volcanic eruptions on record, triggering devastating tsunamis, shock waves, apocalyptic ash plumes, and scorching steam explosions.
The new batch of calderas is scattered all around the planet. Most of them were far from tectonic plate boundaries in underwater mountain chains called seamounts.
The newly discovered calderas are scattered across the globe, and the researchers have flagged seven of them for immediate follow-up, as their size, depth, and location suggest they might pose a significant volcanic hazard. The researchers aren’t claiming that these particular calderas are active; they’re just doing it because, you know, just in case.
Recent research has shown that even volcanoes long considered dead slowly and secretly refill with magma over time.
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