Undersea Volcano in Indonesia Discovered by Scientists

An undersea volcano has been discovered in Indonesia by a team of American and Indonesian scientists. The undersea volcano in Indonesia is taller than all but three or four mountains in the island country and is a major discovery and breakthrough.

The team of scientists were studying the underwater ecosystem in the area when the discovery was made using sonars and robotic submarines. The entire team of scientists were very excited about the discovery as it will help them understand the marine ecosystem much, much better.

The lead scientist, an American named Jim Holden, said the following of the discovery:

"This is a huge undersea volcano, taller than all but three or four mountains in Indonesia. The more we understand these undersea features and the communities of life they support, the better we can manage and protect the ocean and its resources."

The study, which wraps up on August 14, 2010, has already mapped out an area on the sea floor about the size of the state of Delaware.

The name of the underwater volcano is Kawai Barat, and is located between the Indonesian islands and the Philippines. This breakthrough could help scientists understand the area better. An eruption of the volcano could cause earthquakes or tsunamis and knowing about its presence is a good thing.

Not everyone involved in the study was aboard the ship which mapped out the undersea volcano. Some researchers were logged in via satellite connections in Jakarta, Indonesia and Seattle, Washington.