Deep sea volcano blast creates NEW Pacific island – but nearby isle has vanished after eruption
A VOLCANIC eruption under the sea has created a new island and sunk another, according to reports from geologists.
The natural phenomenon occurred in Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean.
The new island is estimated to be about 100 metres wide and 400 metres long.
It is said to be located 120 metres west of the island it's responsible for sinking.
This now-submerged land formation was called Lateiki island.
The upheaval happened after an under the sea eruption, which lasted for 18 days last month.
The area that the new island is located in is prone to volcanic activity and earthquakes.
In fact, Tonga itself sits on the notorious "Ring of Fire", which is an area well-known for different sizes of earthquakes in the Pacific ocean.
This area is actually responsible for 90% of the world's earthquakes.
No one knows for sure how long this new island will last or whether it will soon be lost to the sea.
Eruptions from the same volcano have produced islands in the past that soon washed away.
This is because they were mostly made of pumice stone, which is light and floats.
However, an eruption in 1995 produced a lava flow that was tougher than pumice.
This created a dome of just under five acres sitting on the summit of the volcano.
However, this dome has also recently disappeared.
Scientists aren't sure what the new island is made of yet.
How do volcanoes erupt?
Here's the basic facts...
- Volcanoes are formed when a hot liquid like substance called magma breaks through the Earth's crust
- Once the magma reaches the surface and gushes into the air, this is known as a volcanic eruption
- Volcanic eruptions can release lava, rocks, dust, volcanic ash and toxic gases into the atmosphere
- Some eruptions are huge and kill lots of people but other eruptions can be small flows of lava that are easily avoided
- Volcanoes normally give off warning sides before an eruption occurs, such as tremors or gases, and this gives people nearby time to evacuate
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