New island appears in Japan

A volcanic eruption has created a new island in the waters off Japan's Iwo Jima, about 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo.

The eruption site is located in the Ogasawara Islands, off the coast of Iwo Jima Island. Lava that erupted from the crater on October 21 solidified into rock under the sea when it came into contact with seawater.

After the October 30 eruption, the accumulated lava began to rise above the water, forming a new island. Since November 3, the crater from this new island has been spewing ash into the air.

Setsuya Nakada, a volcanologist at the University of Tokyo, said the new island is made of pumice and is vulnerable to seawater. However, as the volcano continues to be active, the chances of its survival are high, as it is constantly being replenished by lava flows.

Newly formed island in Japan, November 3. Photo: Japan Times

Mr. Nakada added that the way this island came into being is similar to an island that formed in southern Japan in 2013, eventually merging into Nishino Island.

Nishino Island was also formed from an underwater eruption, eventually measuring about 2 kilometers in diameter. Professor Nakada said the new Japanese island could potentially merge with Iwo Jima if the volcano continues to erupt.

Japan has 14,125 islands with a circumference of more than 100 meters, according to June data from the Geospatial and Geospatial Information Agency of Japan (GSI).

LOCATION of Iwo Jima island, off the coast of Japan. Graphic: Mainichi

Duc Trung (According to Japan Times )

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