TERIA’s central role in measuring seismic movements

A CNRS scientific mission recently revealed the birth of a new underwater volcano off the coast of Mayotte, an event of exceptional geological significance. This discovery was preceded by warnings from the geodetic coordination project of theInstitut national de l’information géographique et forestière (IGN), with which TERIA, a major player in the collection and analysis of geodetic data, is closely associated.
Thanks to these early observations, geophysicists were able to formulate the hypothesis of a volcanic origin for theswarm of earthquakes shaking the region as early as November 2018.

This new volcano, located 50 kilometres east of Mayotte and at a depth of 3,500 metres, was confirmed during a mission at sea involving around twenty scientists. At the end of the mission, at a press conference in Mamoudzou, Nathalie Feuillet, a physicist at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), highlighted the recent formation of this volcano. This observation, made the day before, underlines the importance of the research underway to better understand this phenomenon.

According to a joint press release from the French Ministries for Overseas Territories, Ecological Transition, the Interior and Research, this volcano has been described as an “exceptional geological phenomenon”. It stands out for its impressive size, with an estimated height of 800 metres and a base 4 to 5 kilometres in diameter. A 2-kilometre-high plume of volcanic fluids rises above the volcano, but does not reach the surface of the ocean.

Nathalie Feuillet pointed out that the volcano has continued to grow since the earthquakes began. However, further measurements will be needed to determine whether this growth is continuing. This discovery marks a significant step forward in our understanding of underwater geological processes, and TERIA’s role in monitoring and analysing seismic movements is proving crucial in anticipating and understanding such natural phenomena.