Scientists have discovered a chain of young underwater volcanoes near the Cook Islands in the South Pacific during an expedition to map the seafloor. Located approximately 2,900 miles south of Hawaii, near the Cook Islands, some of these volcanoes may still be active. The heat from these volcanoes could potentially support unusual marine life.
The Seabed Minerals Authority, which co-led the expedition, stated that the new map would aid future research, enabling targeted sampling and exploration. The Cook Islands are situated on a volcanic trail formed millions of years ago as the Pacific plate moved over a hotspot. Rarotonga and Aitutaki contain both old and young volcanic rock, with the youngest rock on Rarotonga being about 1.2 million years old.
In 2024, 670,000-year-old volcanic rock was found on a submerged volcano called Tama, southeast of Rarotonga. During the ARTEX 2025 expedition, sonar mapping revealed several underwater formations, including a 0.6-mile-high volcano named "Pepe".
Researchers plan to collect rock samples to determine the volcanoes' age and condition.