TOKYO (AP) — An undersea volcano erupted off Japan three weeks ago, providing a rare view of the birth of a tiny new island, but experts say it may not last very long.
The unnamed undersea volcano, located about 1 kilometer (half a mile) off the southern coast of Iwo Jima, which Japan calls Ioto, started its latest series of eruptions on Oct. 21.
Volcanic activity at the site has since subsided, and the newly formed island has somewhat shrunk because its “crumbly” formation is easily washed away by waves, Usui said.
“But the island may not last very long.”Undersea volcanos and seismic activities have formed new islands in the past.
In 2015, a new island was formed as a result of a month-long eruption of a submarine volcano off the coast of Tonga.
Persons:
Ioto, Yuji Usui, Usui, ”, Joe Rosenthal, Suribachi
Organizations:
TOKYO, Japan Meteorological Agency, United States Marines
Locations:
Japan, Iwo Jima, Nishinoshima, Tokyo, Pakistan, Tonga