East Gakkel Ridge at 85°E

Geography & Climate

East Gakkel Ridge at 85°E is located in Undersea Features, within the Arctic Ridge Volcanic Province of the broader Atlantic Ocean Volcanic Regions. Situated at 85.61° N, 85.25° E in the Northern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a polar climate zone. With an elevation of -3,800 meters — below sea level — East Gakkel Ridge at 85°E is a submarine or submerged volcanic feature. Submarine volcanoes make up the majority of Earth's volcanic activity, though most eruptions go unobserved beneath the ocean surface. The volcanic landform is characterized as a cluster, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.

Geological Context

East Gakkel Ridge at 85°E is situated along a rift zone, where tectonic plates are pulling apart. As the crust thins and fractures, magma rises to fill the gap, creating volcanic activity. Rift volcanism typically produces more fluid lava flows rather than explosive blasts, which means communities near East Gakkel Ridge at 85°E in Undersea Features generally face slower-moving hazards like lava flows and ground fissures rather than sudden pyroclastic events. However, rift volcanoes can still generate significant ash emissions and gas releases that affect local air quality. The dominant rock type is no data (checked), which influences the viscosity of the magma and, consequently, the style of eruptions this volcano produces. Rock chemistry is one of the most important factors in determining whether a volcano erupts explosively or effusively.

Eruption History Summary

East Gakkel Ridge at 85°E has 1 recorded eruption in the geological database, spanning from 1999 CE to 1999 CE. The most powerful recorded event was an explosive event producing ash plumes up to several kilometers in 1999 CE, reaching VEI 2 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. The most recent eruption in 1999 CE places this volcano within the modern era of volcanological observation.

GVP Reference Summary

During January-September 1999 global seismic networks detected an earthquake swarm along the East Gakkel Ridge (near 86°N, 85°E). Sonar mapping in May 1999 identified a cone at the western end of a line of volcanoes that corresponded to the average location of the epicenters (Edwards et al., 2001). A survey in July 2007 (Sohn et al., 2008) provided detailed bathymetry and named selected features, including the Oden (location of the 1999 seismicity), Thor, and Loke cones. Both Oden and Loke were covered with a light dusting of pyroclastic material, which was also found throughout the survey area, thought to be products of an eruption during the 1999 swarm.

— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program