An intense earthquake swarm has been shaking the Mayotte region since May 2018, said BRGM, the France-based geological agency serving the territory.

17 May 2019 – The volcano is located 50 km (31 miles) east of the Petite-Terre island at a depth of 3 500 m (11 482 feet), BGRM,  said.

The current size of the volcano is estimated at 800 m (2 624 feet), with a base 4 to 5 km (2.5 – 3.1 miles) in diameter.

Volcanic fluids have been detected at a height of about 2 km (1.2 miles) above the volcano.

The first quake felt by the population was M4.5 at 23:19 UTC on May 10, according to the BRGM.

This abnormal earthquake swarm continued for the next two months, creating anxiety and stress among locals and forcing authorities to open up a psychological support unit on June 12.

While there have been no serious injuries or fatalities, locals reported minor damage to buildings, including a school in Dembeni. In addition, at least 10 families have been evacuated from damaged homes and temporarily relocated.

Pierre Briole of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris estimated that a magma body  measuring about 1.4 km3 (0.3 mi3) is squishing its way through the subsurface near Mayotte.

Do you suppose that a huge blob of red-hot magma might heat the ocean a tad? We’re talking about 1/3rd of a cubic mile of magma pouring into the ocean. The temperature of magma usually runs anywhere from  700C to 1300C (1300F to 2400F.

The last known volcanic eruption in this area took place in 2050 BCE ± 500 years.

See much more info here:
https://watchers.news/2019/05/17/newly-forming-underwater-volcano-discovered-near-mayotte/

Thanks to Allesandro Ducet for this link

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July 12, 2019 at 04:38AM