Eruption of an Underwater Volcano in the Bismarck Sea

The most prominent "Bismarck Sea volcano" research from GEOMAR centers on Ritter Island. In March 1888, the Ritter Island volcano experienced a massive sector collapse—a 4-cubic-kilometer chunk of the island slid into the sea—triggering a devastating tsunami that reached shorelines up to 600 kilometers away. GEOMAR scientists have extensively studied the seafloor deposits left by this event to create benchmarks for modeling landslide-generated tsunamis.

Other research in the Bismarck Sea conducted by GEOMAR—such as the 2023 DYNAMET expedition—has focused on identifying deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields, such as the Karambusel vent field located at the Conical Seamount. These expeditions often use remote-controlled vehicles (like the ROV Kiel 6000) to map volcanic structures and hydrothermal activity, but these are typically long-term geological features rather than active, eruptive threats.

Here is the link to the actual article: https://www.geomar.de/en/news/article/possible-eruption-of-an-underwater-volcano-in-the-bismarck-sea