EarthRef.org Digital Archive (ERDA) -- Vailulu'u volcano -- regional bathymetric map

Location
15º 00.00' S - 14º 00.00' S

170º 00.00' W - 167º 00.00' W, Pacific Ocean, American Samoa, Vailulu'u Volcano, Rockne Seamount, Samoan Islands, Samoan Hotspot Trail, Ta'u Island, Malulu Seamount

Project -- Other Projects -- Vailulu'u: the Active Samoan Hotspot Volcano
Vailulu'u Seamount is identified as an active volcano marking the current location of the Samoan hotspot. This seamount is located 45 km east of Ta¿u Island, Samoa, at 169¿03.5¿W, 14¿12.9¿S. Vailulu'u defines the easternmost edge of the Samoan Swell, rising from 5000m ocean floor to a summit depth of 590m, and marked by a 400m deep and 2 km wide summit crater. Its broad western rift and stellate morphology brand it as a juvenile progeny of Ta¿u. Seven dredges, ranging from the summit to the SE Rift zone at 4200m, recovered only alkali basalts and picrites. Isotopically, the volcano is strongly EM2 in character and clearly of Samoan pedigree (87Sr/86Sr: 0.7052-0.7067; 143Nd/144Nd: 0.51267-0.51277; 206Pb/204Pb: 19.19-19.40). 210Po-210Pb data on two summit basalts indicate ages younger than 50 years; all of the recovered rocks are extremely fresh, and veneered with glass. An earthquake swarm in early 1995 may attest to a recent eruption cycle.