--- title: "Great, NASA Says an Underwater Shark Volcano Has Erupted" description: "As if we needed anything else to worry about, a Pacific underwater volcano that is home to a bunch of sharks has erupted." date: "2022-05-23" modified: "2022-05-23" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/kavachi-shark-volcano-sharkcano" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "marine life" - "sharks" - "the digest" - "volcanoes" --- # Great, NASA Says an Underwater Shark Volcano Has Erupted ![As if we needed anything else to worry about, a Pacific underwater volcano that is home to a bunch of sharks has erupted.]() *\Image: NOAA/Getty\* ## Sharkcano's Revenge As if we needed anything else to worry about, a Pacific underwater volcano that's home to a bunch of sharks has erupted. As [NASA's Earth Observatory announced](), the Kavachi Volcano, located in the Solomon Islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea, has been erupting since October. In case you were worried about a B-movie scenario featuring ferocious lava-infused sharks, the reality is more banal — though it could be bad news for the sharks, because it's unclear how the eruption will affect the two species living in the submerged crater since its last eruption in 2014. Both hammerheads and the [somewhat-smaller silky shark]() call Kavachi home, and scientists are still puzzled as to why these big boys appear to have flocked to the volcano in the first place. As researchers [wrote in a 2016 *Oceanography* journal paper](), their presence at Kavachi raises "new questions about the ecology of active submarine volcanoes and the extreme environments in which large marine animals can exist." ## Sensual Eruption One of the most active volcanoes in the Pacific, Kavachi, as NASA notes, created a number of short-lived "ephemeral islands" that have since eroded in the years since it was first recorded erupting in 1939. Named for the Gatokae and Vangunu peoples' sea god, this "submarine volcano" isn't just a shark haven — sixgill stingrays and snapper fish have also been [observed within the crater](), and as NASA notes, sulfur-loving "microbial communities" also flourish there. Kavachi and its aquatic residents seem to have fans at NASA, too. "You’ve heard of sharknado," [NASA Goddard's Twitter account posted](), alongside a shark emoji, "now get ready for sharkcano." Frankly, we're not. **READ MORE:** [Submarine Eruption of Kavachi Volcano]() \[NASA Earth Observatory\] **More sharks:** *[Scientists Discover Glow-in-the-Dark Sharks]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()