--- title: "Scientists Find Source of Bizarre Worldwide Humming Noise" description: "A mysterious seismic humming detected across the entire globe had scientists scratching their head since it was first discovered in November 2018. But a team of German researchers have finally found the source: a gigantic underwater volcano forming off the coast of Madagascar near the coast of Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. […]" date: "2020-01-10" modified: "2020-01-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/source-bizarre-humming-noise-underwater-volcano" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "earthquake" - "seismic monitoring" - "the digest" - "volcano" --- # Scientists Find Source of Bizarre Worldwide Humming Noise ![A team of German researchers have finally solved the mystery of a mysterious seismic humming first discovered in November 2018: an underwater volcano.]() *\Image: NOAA/Victor Tangermann\* ## Humbug A mysterious seismic humming detected across the entire globe had scientists scratching their head since it was [first discovered in November 2018](). But now a team of German researchers claim to have found the source, [*The Washington Post* reports](): a gigantic underwater volcano forming off the coast of Madagascar. Simone Cesca, German seismologist and lead author of [the paper]() published this week in the journal *Nature Geoscience*, told the *Post* on Thursday that it's "the first time we’ve really observed the birth of a volcano on the sea floor." ## Sagging Rocks In May 2018, scientists recorded a series of strong earthquakes. The German scientists determined they were caused by a massive pocket of magma gradually draining up to meet the floor of the Indian Ocean. According to the paper, it's the largest magma chamber ever discovered, measuring about 16 to 19 miles deep. As the rock sagged down over the draining magma reservoir, the ocean floor emitted a powerful hum, starting in June 2018 and detected five months later. ## Underwater Volcano The draining also gave rise to a massive volcano, three miles in diameter, protruding half a mile (about 800 meters) from the sea floor [according to *Science* magazine](). "This thing was built from zero in 6 months!" director of the Institute of Geophysics in Paris (IPGP) Marc Chaussidon, who studied the nearby seafloor in May, told *Science*. **READ MORE:** [How a mysterious seismic hum led scientists to the birth of an enormous undersea volcano]() \[*The Washington Post*\] **More on seismic activity:** *[Scientists Are Hopeful AI Could Help Predict Earthquakes]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()