Undersea volcanoes; Largest - Tamu Massif

[Astronuc]

Giant Volcano Below Sea Is Largest in the World
Tamu Massif in the northwest Pacific challenges traditional views of ocean science.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...ky-rise-largest-volcano-oceanography-science/

A volcano the size of New Mexico or the British Isles has been identified under the Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) east of Japan, making it the biggest volcano on Earth and one of the biggest in the solar system.

Called Tamu Massif, the giant shield volcano had been thought to be a composite of smaller structures, but now scientists say they must rethink long-held beliefs about marine geology.
. . . .

http://www.sci-news.com/otherscienc...amu-massif-largest-volcano-pacific-01366.html

Tamu Massif is a rounded dome that measures about 280 by 400 miles (450 by 650 kilometers), or more than 100,000 square miles. Its top lies about 6,500 feet (about 2,000 meters) below the ocean surface, while the base extends down to about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) deep. Tamu Massif dwarfs the largest active volcano on Earth, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, which measures about 2,000 square miles (5,200 square kilometers).

Made of basalt, Tamu Massif is the oldest and largest feature of an oceanic plateau called the Shatsky Rise in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The total area of the rise is similar to Japan or California.

. . . .

 

[davenn]

cool

a quick annotated graphic from Google Earth

cheers
Dave