An underwater volcano off the Japanese coast has been spewing lava since mid-October. As a result, a small island made of stones and ash was formed. The 100 meter long island is now shrinking again.
After an underwater volcano erupted, a new island was formed near the Japanese island of Iwoto (Iwo Jima) in the Pacific Ocean. The volcano has been ejecting lava since October 21, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said. Over the next ten days, ash and stones piled up on the flat seabed until an island with a diameter of around 100 meters and a height of up to 20 meters above the water surface was formed in early November.
He was able to confirm the existence of the island during a flight over the area in question on October 30th, the Japanese news agency Kyodo quoted Fukashi Maeno from the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo as saying. The volcanic island of Iwoto is about 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo.
It is unclear whether the island will remain
According to the weather agency, volcanic activity around Iwoto has increased in recent years and underwater eruptions have occurred more frequently. However, the formation of a new island is a significant development. In the meantime, activity has decreased again and the island has shrunk somewhat as its friable rock is being eroded by the waves. It is unclear whether it will last longer. The development is being monitored.
In 2013, an eruption of the Nishinoshima volcano in the Pacific resulted in the creation of an island that continued to grow during years of eruptions. In 2015, a new island was created by a months-long volcanic eruption off the coast of the South Pacific state of Tonga.
According to earthquake researcher Maeno, clouds of smoke rose from the underwater volcano every few minutes. They would have reached a height of more than 50 meters. Occasionally the volcano also spewed out pieces of rock a few meters in diameter.
According to the weather agency, Japan is home to 111 of the world’s approximately 1,500 active volcanoes. The island nation is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions often occur.