Ruby Seamont, Mariana Islands
- Ruby Seamount is a submarine volcano
associated with the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Philippine
Plate. The seamount is located 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Saipan,
Guam. The last eruption, detected by submarine hydrophones, was in 1966.
In mid-October of 1995, fisherman reported discolored water near the
seamount. Personnel of the Wildlife and Emergency Management Office (EMO) of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands visited the
site and measured a depth to the volcano of 650 feet (200 m).
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- Later, fisherman reported "explosions"
in the area. EMO personnel returned on October 25, 1995, and confirmed
the submarine explosions. They measured a new depth to the volcano of
200 feet (60 m). This could be interpreted as vertical growth of the
volcano of 400 feet (140 m) in a short time. However, since the type
of navigation used by the ship is unknown, they may have made two measurements
at different locations. An earlier tsunami alert for the islands of
Saipan, Rota, and Tinian has been cancelled. Potential collapse of part
of the volcano prompted the alert. Reports dated October 25, 1995, stated
that the eruption had died down. Pagan, a volcanic island north of Ruby
Seamount, erupted in 1993.
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