In the statement made by NASA Earth Observatory, it is stated that a new young island was formed as a result of the eruption of an underwater volcano near the Central Tonga Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The young island that has been formed is still in the process of growing.
The area stretching from New Zealand to Tonga has the world’s highest concentration of underwater volcanoes. On September 10, a volcano in this region became active and has erupted many times since then. The ash and steam released were sprayed at a height of 3 kilometers and the color of the water changed as a result of the reactions.
The island, called Home Reef, is a volcanic island located on top of a submarine volcano. In fact, the island has a temporary life, as it appeared many times in successive eruptions in 1852, 1857, 1984, 2006 and 2022, but then eroded away.
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The island continues to grow
On September 14, researchers from the Tonga Geological Service estimated the area of the island to be 4,000 square meters (1 acre), and its elevation above sea level was 10 meters (33 feet). By September 20, the island had grown to cover 24,000 square meters (6 acres), and by September 25, it had reached 15 meters above sea level.
New island may have a short lifespan
Unfortunately, the new baby island may soon disappear due to volcanic rock degradation caused by the waves. Islands formed by submarine volcanoes are usually short-lived, although they sometimes last for years, according to NASA. For example, an island formed by the 12-day eruption of nearby Lateiki Volcano in 2020 disappeared two months later, while an island created by the same volcano in 1995 remained above water for 25 years.
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