Publication
SEATANI: hazards from seamounts in SouthEast Asia, Taiwan, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (eastern India)
Publisher:
Research Square Platform LLC
Date:
26-05-2023
DOI:
10.21203/RS.3.RS-2950249/V1
Abstract: Submarine volcanism represents approximately 85% of volcanism taking place on Earth, and submarine eruptions can be particularly hazardous due to their potential to cause large-scale hazards from sector collapses, tsunamis, and ash dispersal. While recent eruptions in the Kingdom of Tonga and Japan have highlighted the significant hazards posed by submarine volcanoes, there has been little to no study of submarine volcanoes in Southeast Asia and its surroundings. Here we present and provide the SEATANI dataset, which compiles a list of 466 seamounts from the region, from different published sources. We characterized them in GIS, based on their shape and inferred evolution stage, which helped us to infer their past hazard history, and identified areas where the hazard posed by submarine volcanic eruptions is likely to be higher, based on exposure analyses. Our results show that there is a large number of potentially hazardous seamounts in this region, and Taiwan had the highest hazard and the highest exposure. Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam were also found to have relatively high exposure. The results from this work serve as a first step for southeast Asian and neighbouring countries to become more resilient against and prepared for submarine volcanic eruptions in the region.