Kammu Seamount facts for kids
The Kammu Seamount (桓武海山) is an amazing underwater mountain, also called a seamount, found deep in the Pacific Ocean. It's part of a very long line of underwater mountains and volcanoes known as the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain. Kammu Seamount is an extinct volcano, which means it won't erupt again.
Because its top is flat, Kammu Seamount is also known as the "Kammu Guyot." A guyot (pronounced "GHEE-oh") is just another name for a seamount with a flat top, sometimes called a "tablemount."
This huge undersea feature is named after Emperor Kammu, an important ruler from Japan's history. He was the 50th Emperor of Japan and reigned from 781 to 806 AD.
Scientists don't know exactly when Kammu Seamount last erupted. Since it's an extinct volcano, its volcanic activity stopped a very long time ago.
Contents
What is a Seamount?
A seamount is basically a mountain that rises from the ocean floor but doesn't reach the water's surface. Most seamounts are formed from volcanic activity. Imagine a volcano erupting underwater for millions of years; eventually, it builds up a huge mountain!
How Seamounts Become Guyots
When a seamount grows tall enough to reach the ocean's surface, waves and erosion start to wear down its top. Over millions of years, this action flattens the peak. As the tectonic plate it sits on moves, the seamount is carried away from its original hotspot and slowly sinks deeper into the ocean. This process turns the pointy seamount into a flat-topped guyot.
The Hawaiian–Emperor Seamount Chain
Kammu Seamount is part of a massive chain of underwater mountains and islands. This chain stretches for thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean. It includes the famous Hawaiian Islands and many other seamounts like Kammu.
How the Chain Formed
This incredible chain was created by a "hotspot" deep within the Earth's mantle. As the Pacific tectonic plate slowly moves over this hotspot, magma (molten rock) pushes up and forms new volcanoes. Over millions of years, the moving plate carries older volcanoes away from the hotspot, and new ones form in their place. This creates a long line of volcanoes, with the oldest ones being the furthest from the current hotspot.
Related Underwater Features
- Submarine volcano: A volcano that erupts underwater.
- Active volcano: A volcano that is currently erupting or has erupted recently and is expected to erupt again.
- Dormant volcano: A volcano that has not erupted for a long time but could erupt again in the future.
