They’re capable of even greater power than Earth’s. The energy they generate would be enough to power entire continents. They release ash and megaplumes – huge cyclones of super-hot water – into the ocean.
For a long time, experts have been studying megaplumes and their impact on the environment. However, because eruptions are very deep, they are difficult to detect and analyse.
British scientists have studied the North Escanaba lava flow in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Plumes of hot water are capable of transporting particles of volcanic rock up to 5 kilometres from the eruption site. A single eruption of North Escanaba created a megaplume with enough power to supply the United States with energy for several days.