Adams Seamount
Adams Seamount is a submarine volcano above the Pitcairn hotspot in the central Pacific Ocean about southwest of Pitcairn Island.
Geography and geomorphology
Adams is part of a field of about 90 seamounts east-southeast away from Pitcairn Island, and the largest of these. Adams lies southeast of another large seamount, Bounty Seamount. Most of these seamounts except for Adams and Bounty are less than high. They were discovered in 1989 by the RV Sonne research ship.It is a conical seamount rising from the sea floor to about or below the surface of the ocean. The total volume of the seamount, whose base has a diameter of about, is about. Adams has two summits, and coral and sand derived from coral has been found on Adams. Given its height, during the last glacial maximum Adams was likely an island.
Its slopes are covered by recent lava flows, volcanic debris and hyaloclastite. Lava flows feature aa lava characteristics and lava tubes, while deeper parts of the edifice are covered with lapilli and scoria. Parasitic vents form cones and mounds on its flanks.
Geology
Adams and the other seamounts were created by the Pitcairn hotspot, and these seamounts are its present-day location. This hotspot is one among several hotspots in the Pacific Ocean, along with the Austral hotspot, Hawaii hotspot, Louisville hotspot, Samoa hotspot and Society hotspot. The seamounts rise from a 30 million years old crust.Alkali basalt, trachyte and tholeiite have been dredged from Adams Seamount.