East Diamante facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Diamante |
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 Location in Northern Mariana Islands
Location in North Pacific
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Bathymetic image of East Diamante as viewed from the north/northeast
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| Summit depth | −127 m (−417 ft) |
| Location | |
| Location | Northern Mariana Islands |
| Coordinates | 15°56′N 145°40′E / 15.93°N 145.67°E |
| Country | United States |
| Geology | |
| Type | Submarine volcano |
| Volcanic arc/chain | Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc |
| Last eruption | Unknown |
East Diamante is an amazing submarine volcano, which means it's an underwater volcano. It's located about 43 kilometers (27 miles) south of Anatahan Island. This volcano is found in the Northern Mariana Islands, a group of islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. East Diamante is part of a long chain of volcanoes called the Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc. It's still active today, with hot vents that release superheated water. Its top has a complex, long, bowl-shaped area called a caldera.
Exploring East Diamante: An Underwater Volcano
East Diamante is one of two underwater volcanoes in its region that erupted a special type of magma. This magma forms rocks called dacite. Dacite usually has a unique texture, like a cookie with chocolate chips. It has larger crystals, called phenocrysts, spread out in a finer, more uniform material. These crystals can make up almost half of the rock.
What Does East Diamante Look Like?
The very top of East Diamante is about 127 meters (417 feet) below the ocean surface. This top part is cut off by a long, bowl-shaped caldera. This caldera stretches from the northeast to the southwest. After the caldera formed, a complex of domes grew in its center. A new volcanic cone also started to build up on the southwest edge of the caldera. The central dome area is very active with hot water vents. Some of these are called black smokers because they release dark, mineral-rich water.
When Was East Diamante Active?
Scientists have studied rocks from inside the caldera of East Diamante. They used a method called Argon–argon dating to find out how old the dacite rocks are. The results show that the volcano was active about 20,000 years ago. This was during a time period called the Late Pleistocene. Volcanic activity continued into the Holocene period, which is our current geological age. However, no one knows exactly when East Diamante last erupted.
