ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (AP) - An active underwater volcano off Grenada’s northern coast called Kick ‘em Jenny was rumbling yesterday and regional disaster authorities were put on alert even as they said it posed no threat of triggering a destructive tsunami.
Since its discovery in the 1930s, Kick ‘em Jenny has erupted beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea at least 12 times, most recently in 2001. The underwater volcano, which rises 4,265 feet from the seafloor on a steep slope of the Lesser Antilles ridge, has not caused deaths or injuries.
The Seismic Research Centre (SRC) at the University of the West Indies said seismic activity had increased at the submerged volcano, which is five miles north of Grenada. Recreational divers have reported seeing some “degassing” on the seafloor off Grenada’s west coast as gas-rich magma bubbles.
SRC researchers put the alert level at “orange,” which means an eruption could take place within 24 hours. An eruption would stir up high waves and heat surrounding waters to boiling temperatures. Scientists say the volcano can also shoot hot rocks up through the water column. Under the alert, all boats must stay at least three miles from the volcano. Kick ‘em Jenny poses the greatest threat to mariners since the gases it releases can lower the density of the water so significantly vessels can lose buoyancy and sink.
Clevon Ash, an education officer at the SRC, said the volcano’s summit is 650 feet beneath the surface, cancelling out any threat of a destructive tsunami. “It is still too deep,” Ash said.
People on Grenada were advised to go about their lives normally. But some were jittery. “People are just wondering what’s next,” said Kendel Mark, a resident of the outlying island of Carriacou.
In a 1939 eruption, Kick ‘em Jenny shot a cloud of ash 900 feet above the sea. Its eruptions since then, have been weaker. Scientists have detected elevated levels of seismic activity in the volcano since July 11, with a series of small earthquakes leading up to a “stong, continuous signal” registered between 1.25 and 3am yesterday.
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