Vailuluʻu
| Vailuluʻu | |
|---|---|
Location of American Samoa | |
| Summit depth | 590 metres (1,940 ft) |
| Height | 4,200 m (13,800 ft) |
| Location | |
| Location | South Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 14°12′54″S 169°3′30″W / 14.21500°S 169.05833°W |
| Country | United States |
| Geology | |
| Last eruption | 2003 |
| History | |
| Discovery date | 1975 |
Vailuluʻu is a volcanic seamount discovered in 1975. It rises from the sea floor to a depth of 593 m (1,946 ft) and is located between Taʻu and Rose islands at the eastern end of the Samoa hotspot chain. The basaltic seamount is considered to mark the current location of the Samoa hotspot. The summit of Vailuluʻu contains a 2 km wide, 400 m deep oval-shaped caldera. Two principal rift zones extend east and west from the summit, parallel to the trend of the Samoan hotspot. A third less prominent rift extends southeast of the summit.
Eruptions at Vailuluʻu were recorded in 1973. An earthquake swarm in 1995 may have been related to an eruption from the seamount. Turbid water above the summit shows evidence of ongoing hydrothermal plume activity. Vailuluʻu may breach the surface of the ocean and officially become an island if a high rate of eruptions continue.