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Sharkcano is real; NASA captures underwater shark infested volcano erupting

The ‘Sharkcano’ name has its roots in the 2015 study of the volcano, which revealed that the active volcano is infested by two types of sharks – The hammerhead and the Silky shark.

TN Science Desk

Updated May 26, 2022, 13:03 IST

Sharkcano is real NASA captures underwater shark infested volcano erupting

An underwater volcano in Solomun islands erupted earlier this month and NASA satellites captured some stunning images of it on their equipment. The volcano is called Kavachi Volcano, named after a sea god of the indigenous Gatokae and Vangunu people, is one of the most active underwater volcanoes in the Pacific.

According to NASA, the volcano's summit is roughly 65 feet below the water's surface, and the volcano's base is three-fourths of a mile below sea level. Locals call the volcano by the name – Rejo te kvachi, which translates into ‘Kavachi’s Oven’. However, the hyperactive volcano also goes by the name ‘Sharkcano’, just like one of the B-grade Hollywood sci-fi movies.

The ‘Sharkcano’ name has its roots in the 2015 study of the volcano which revealed that the active volcano is infested by two types of sharks – The hammerhead and the Silky shark. So what's the big deal, right? Actually, it's interesting because volcano’s continuously emit poisonous gases like Sulphur and other molten material making the area extremely dangerous and inhabitable.

The researchers noted “Microbial samples collected from the summit indicate chemosynthetic populations dominated by sulfur-reducing ε-proteobacteria. Populations of gelatinous animals, small fish, and sharks were observed inside the active crater, raising new questions about the ecology of active submarine volcanoes and the extreme environments in which large marine animals can exist.”

The sharkcano has been an active volcano and its first eruption was recorded in 1939 and 36 times since according to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History Global Volcanism Program.

Credit Oceanography Dec 2016 — Credit: Oceanography Dec 2016

How do the sharks and other animals survive in the hostile environment of the Kavachi volcano, do these groups of animals are resilient enough to survive the human-induced changes to the oceans, questions like these still remain unanswered. However, the next time you watch a movie about an angry shark preying on spring-breakers, think about the Sharkcano.

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