EMILY KWONG: You're listening to Short Wave, from NPR. Hey, Short Wavers. Emily Kwong here. REGINA BARBER: And Regina Barber.

So. It's December 31, and that means one thing: that the world - and specifically, Axial Seamount, the volcano lying on the seafloor off of the Pacific Northwest - has just a handful of hours remaining to prove last year's scientists right by erupting before the end of 2025.