We found the hidden force that created two chains of underwater volcanoes running side by side

Sunset over Mt Lidgbird and Mt Gower at Lord Howe Island. Dylan Shaw/Unspash We found the hidden force that created two chains of underwater volcanoes running side by side Published: September 17, 2026 8:00pm EDT https://theconversation.com/we-found-the-hidden-force-that-created-two-chains-of-underwater-volcanoes-running-side-by-side-291676 https://theconversation.com/we-found-the-hidden-force-that-created-two-chains-of-underwater-volcanoes-running-side-by-side-291676 Link copied Share article Share article

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Lord Howe Island sits about 600 kilometres off the New South Wales coast, a crescent of rainforest and sea cliffs that draws visitors for its spectacular beaches and its unique birdlife. Few realise they are standing on the weathered remains of a volcano.

Lord Howe is part of a chain of islands, called “seamounts”. It is the only island above sea level – the rest are submerged in the Tasman Sea. Roughly 650 kilometres west runs a second chain, the Tasmantid seamounts, tracing almost the same path.