'Sharkcano' view from space shows an undersea volcano erupting
Superheated, acidic water surrounds an underwater volcano dubbed sharkcano in fresh imagery from the Landsat 9 satellite.
Discolored water is visible from space in the zone around Kavachi Volcano in the Solomon Islands.
Its unusual moniker, sharkcano, is a nod to the Solomon Islands' two species of sharks. The sharks appear quite tolerant to the acidic conditions, given that Kavachi is one of the most active submarine volcanoes in the Pacific.
Kavachi is amid a tectonically active region, and nearby a subduction zone about 18 miles to the southwest. The volcano's lavas can range from basaltic (magnesium and iron rich) to the more silica-rich andesitic.
Yet there is a lot of life present even amid the harsh conditions.
A scientific expedition to the volcano found two species of sharks, including hammerheads, living in the submerged crater. The researchers also found microbial communities that thrive on sulfur.
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