Seismicity associated with the May 2010 eruption of South Sarigan Seamount, Northern Mariana Islands

On 29 May 2010, at approximately 11:48 UTC, an undersea volcano south of Sarigan in the Northern Mariana Islands (Figs. 1 and 2) erupted sending a cloud of volcanic ash and water vapor to 40,000 feet (12 km; Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center). Bathymetric data (Stern and Smoot, 1998; Embley et al., 2007) indicate an undersea vent exists at approximately 16.582° N and 145.821° E or about 12 km southwest of Sarigan and about 30 km northeast of Anatahan (Fig. 3). The vent depth is estimated to be 184 m below sea level. Based on physical observations of water discoloration (Juan Camacho, personal comm., 2010) and satellite imagery, the eruption plume is attributed to this undersea seamount.