A Huge Volcano Is Creating a New Island in the Pacific Ocean in Real Time

Authorities are trying to establish contact with residents and assess the damage from the volcanic eruption. The world is holding its breath as authorities say they are not sure whether there will be any casualties, but the blast also draws attention to a fascinating geological drama: the volcano is actively adding new land mass to a small and newly formed island.

Scientists thought that the new island would erode away within months after the 2015 eruption. The opposite is true seven years later. During the weekend, that island almost certainly got bigger. The size of the island was increased last month by what experts believe to be nearly 50 percent.

Dan Slayback, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, told Planet Labs that the first clear view of the new island structure was captured on January 2nd, 2022. The surface area of the island appears to have expanded by 45 percent due to the ashfall.

Will it last?

Life was abundant on the newborn island, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald in 2015. The volcanic shore has seabirds in the air and around it.

It is mind-blowing to think that a baby island is being born and growing in real time, but a lack of internet and satellite connections may make it harder to study it and check on the wellbeing of nearby island residents. According to WaPo, in the year of 2019, the island of Tonga lost its internet connection for two weeks after a ship dragged an anchor across its underwater fiber-optic cable. Residents couldn't make international calls.

We will learn more about the new island in the coming weeks, but we are still worried about the people of Tonga. People should not be distracted by geological news and forget the humans affected by the disaster.

Hey kids, wanna see satellite footage of a volcano?

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