What makes the ocean's slow lava conveyor belt suddenly build islands?

We often picture volcanoes as dramatic, fiery mountains on land, but what about the vast majority hidden beneath the ocean? This piece takes us on a journey with scientists near Iceland who stumbled upon something truly unexpected. It challenges our assumptions about the 'quiet' nature of deep-sea volcanism, revealing how a delicate balance of pressure and depth can transform slow lava flows into explosive events. It's a fascinating look at the hidden forces constantly reshaping our planet, and how new land might literally bubble up from the depths, even today.

A recent expedition near Iceland discovered unusual flat-topped volcanoes on the Reykjanes Ridge, a segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This article examines how reduced water pressure at shallower depths enables explosive eruptions, explaining both these formations and historical "phantom islands." It also considers and largely refutes a glacial formation theory.

Read at source: Quanta Magazine