Newly formed volcanic island near Japan still growing, satellite data shows
- December 9, 2023
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A new image from space shows an island formed by a volcanic fire in the Pacific Ocean off Japan in late October 2023 still rising out of the
A new image from space shows an island formed by a volcanic fire in the Pacific Ocean off Japan in late October 2023 still rising out of the sea. The new volcanic island, called Niijima, which means “new island” in Japanese, was imaged by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on November 27. The island’s continued growth indicates continued underwater volcanic activity forming the island off the southern coast of Iwo Jima.
The University of Tokyo said in a statement that Niijima’s origins can be traced to the volcanic eruption that began on October 21, 2023. On October 30, between 12:20 and 12:35 local time, the red-hot magma of this Activity volcano met the ocean and exploded, forming rock fragments several feet tall and sending them more than 160 feet (50 meters) into the air. .
As this volcanic debris accumulated 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) south of Tokyo and broke apart at sea, it formed an island that was photographed from space on Nov. 3 by the NASA/U.S. Geological Survey’s Landsat-9 satellite.
Niijima has continued to be active since his turbulent birth. On November 27, the Japan Coast Guard posted the footage on its X account (Twitter)., It shows how the island was shaken by a new volcanic eruption.
#海海保安庁 は、11月23日(木)に #無操縦airplane (シーガーディアン) #童黄島 の火山电影电影电影.
As a result of the observation,
海域火山天事: https://t.co/TVKMszBbZJ
竤黄島翁浜沖の新島の噴火の海头(可視) here↓ pic.twitter.com/gE5R3PCGBD
— 海海保安庁 (@JCG_koho) 27 November 2023
In the video, white steam and smoke can be seen pouring from the smoldering island before a powerful explosion occurs in the lower left leg. Following the eruption, plumes of smoke can be seen falling towards Niijima, along with blackened volcanic rock fragments as the island was rocked by a series of smaller explosions. Despite these additional explosions, the new image of Niijima seems to indicate that the newly formed island will remain intact, at least for now.
Yuji Usui, an expert in the volcano research division of the Japan Meteorological Agency, told The Associated Press in early November that the survival of Niijima and the survival of the island may depend on the type of rock it is made of.
At that time, the sea was washing away the more brittle rocks around the island, and the volcanic activity calmed down, causing Niijima to shrink, in contrast to the resumption of volcanic activity and growth of the island seen on November 27. Niijima is doomed to remain if it consists mostly of hardened lava; a lighter, looser-bound rock could disperse back into the Pacific.
“We just need to see development, but the island may not last very long,” Usui said.
Iwo Jima and its new companion island, Niijima, sit on a chain of underwater volcanoes called the “Ring of Fire,” a 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) horseshoe stretching from the southern tip of South America. Along the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, past Japan and down to New Zealand.
Source: Port Altele
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