Ofu-Olosega

Geography & Climate

Ofu-Olosega is located in United States, within the Samoan Hotspot Volcano Group of the broader Southern Pacific Volcanic Regions. Situated at 14.18° S, 169.62° W in the Southern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a tropical climate zone. With a summit elevation of 639 meters above sea level, Ofu-Olosega is a moderately sized peak that remains accessible to hikers and researchers for much of the year. The volcanic landform is characterized as a shield, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.

Geological Context

Ofu-Olosega sits in a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate dives beneath another, creating intense heat and pressure that generates magma. Subduction zones are responsible for many of the world's most explosive volcanoes and deadliest eruptions. For communities in United States near Ofu-Olosega, this tectonic setting means the volcano is capable of producing powerful explosive eruptions, pyroclastic flows, and lahars that can threaten populated areas within tens of kilometers of the summit. The dominant rock type is basalt / picro-basalt, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that forms from rapidly cooling, low-viscosity lava. Basaltic eruptions tend to be less explosive and produce fluid lava flows that can travel long distances. While less immediately dangerous than explosive eruptions, basaltic lava flows can destroy structures and infrastructure in their path, and volcanic gases released during these eruptions can affect air quality over a wide area.

Eruption History Summary

Ofu-Olosega has 1 recorded eruption in the geological database, spanning from 1866 CE to 1866 CE. The most powerful recorded event was an explosive event producing ash plumes up to several kilometers in 1866 CE, reaching VEI 2 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.

GVP Reference Summary

The two triangle-shaped islands of Ofu and Olosega in eastern Samoa, with a combined length of 6 km, are separated by a narrow strait. The islands are formed by two eroded, coalescing basaltic shield volcanoes whose slopes dip to the east and west. Steep cliffs up to 600-m high truncate the northern and southern sides of the islands. The narrow, steep-sided ridge forming the eastern tip of Ofu Island consists of a dike complex. The shield volcano on Ofu is cut on the north by the A'ofa caldera; bathymetry suggests that a caldera may also exist on the Sili shield volcano of Olosega. The Nu'utele tuff cone, forming a small crescent-shaped island immediately off the west end of Ofu Island, is Holocene in age. A submarine eruption took place in 1866 at the opposite end of the two islands, 3 km SE of Olosega, along the ridge connecting Olosega with Ta'u Island.

— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program