Undersea volcano erupting off US coast

Scientists believe an undersea volcano has been erupting for several days in the Pacific 130 miles off the US coast.

A research vessel has set off from San Diego and should reach the site by Tuesday. So far, about 2,000 tremors have been recorded in the area by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

There is apparently no danger to residents in the nearest coastal communities of Brookings, Oregon, and Crescent City, California.

Chris Fox, an oceanographer at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Oregon, said it's reasonable to conclude lava has flowed onto the sea floor on the Gorda tectonic ridge about two miles below the ocean's surface.

He said: "When researchers reach the scene they should be able to observe some 'megaplumes', gigantic bursts of hot, mineral-rich water that are spewed out of underwater eruptions."

He said that NOAA is trying to obtain an underwater camera system that will be lowered to show lava spreading on the ocean floor.

Since the Navy made its sound surveillance system for detecting submarine movements available to NOAA in 1990, three eruptions have been detected in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California.