Is an underwater volcano getting ready to erupt in Andaman? Warning issued as dozens of earthquakes rock Thailand, Myanmar and Nicobar

A warning has been issued that an undersea volcano might erupt in the coming days in the Andaman Sea. Renowned marine ecologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat elaborated in a Facebook post on Thursday about the frequent seismic activity in the region. Concerns have been growing that this could be a sign that a volcano under the ocean is getting ready to explode. There have been earthquakes in Myanmar in recent days. Thon explained that tremors here are unlikely to generate a tsunami, which is caused by undersea earthquakes or volcanic explosions. “Tsunamis in the Gulf of Thailand are highly unlikely, and even if they occur, they would be small and detected well in advance due to the distance from major seismic and volcanic zones like Indonesia and the Philippines,” he wrote. Also Read: Ryo Tatsuki and the 15-year cycle: Stressing over July 5? Her pattern of predictions will calm you down

Earthquakes from undersea volcanic belt in Andaman

He noted that two regions can trigger tsunamis - one in Indonesia and the other along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. A volcanic belt lies under the ocean in Andaman and "the only volcanic island in this area is Barren Island, which remains active." He added that "recent tremors have not originated from there, but from further south along the same volcanic belt – one that lies entirely underwater." The tremors have originated from further south. Thon said that it is possible that an underwater volcano in this region might erupt. However, there is no way to tell when that can happen. Notably, Barren Island is the only one in the belt that has erupted above sea level. The last time this happened was in 2022.

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The volcano might not erupt at all, he said. "The recent frequent quakes in the area – especially those above magnitude 4 – may indicate magma movement, but it doesn’t necessarily mean an eruption is imminent,” Thon said. Citing data from Thailand’s Earthquake Observation Division, Thon that the seismic activity is occurring 470–480 kilometres off the coast of Phang Nga. A volcanic eruption here would result in a huge tsunami. Something similar happened in Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption of 2022 when an eruption generated waves as high as 20 metres.

Thailand could witness tsunami if Andaman undersea volcano erupts

The Phang Nga location is closer to Thailand than the 2004 earthquake epicentre that resulted in tsunami waves which took two hours to reach the Thai coast. He also warned of different wave patterns which could affect areas that weren't in the eye of the storm last time. Thon tried to mitigate the fear by saying that it is hard to predict any such event. “No one can predict with certainty whether a disaster will occur. In Japan, for example, warnings have been issued for months without any major event materialising,” he said. Also Read: Japan 'megaquake' coming? Earthquakes detected at exact point Ryo Tatsuki predicted in manga comic book

Thon added that people should still remain prepared with an evacuation plan. He said that shelter should be sought in buildings that are seven to eight storeys high, since three-storey buildings would also not be safe in such an event. Thon urged proper communication about evacuation routes and other information. He warned people to be wary of rumours originating from unverified sources and asked to rely only on information that comes from experts and official agencies.