In the Pacific Ocean, about 1,200 kilometers off the coast of Tokyo, Japan, a new island recently appeared, which did not exist at all until a month and a half ago. But this island didn't just suddenly appear — it was growing with each passing day, according to updated satellite imagery.
The island was formed by an underwater volcanic eruption in late October 2023. Soon he received the nickname Niijima, which means "New Island" in Japanese. Now, satellite images from the European Space Agency and NASA show that the island continues to expand as underwater volcanic activity continues. The eruption began on October 21, and the most significant eruption came about a week later, on October 30, when boiling magma and remnant particles of the wrecked seafloor were shot up to 50 meters above sea level and piled up to a new island protruding above the water's surface.
#海上保安庁 は、11月23日(木)に #無操縦者航空機 (シーガーディアン) により #硫黄島 の火山観測を実施しました。
観測の結果、硫黄島南岸の翁浜(おきなはま)沖の新島で噴火活動を認めました。
海域火山データベース:https://t.co/TVKMszBbZJ
硫黄島翁浜沖の新島の噴火の様子(可視)はこちら↓ pic.twitter.com/gE5R3PCGBD
— 海上保安庁 (@JCG_koho) November 27, 2023
Other eruptions in the area in the past month, filmed by the Japanese Navy, are constantly enlarging the island. However, experts say the island's long-term survival depends on its composition – if most of the material it is made of is hydrogenated lava, it will probably survive eruptions from the ocean. But if rocks simply stacked on top of each other are its main component, it will probably break down on its own eventually. However, the volcanic activity that created the island is unlikely to stop anytime soon – the area has a chain of very active underwater volcanoes.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us