Volcanic eruptions create new islands

An undersea volcanic eruption in the south Pacific Ocean engulfed one island and created another three times larger.

Satellite image at the time of the volcano eruption.(Photo: Guardian).

According to geologists' report on November 7, the new island is estimated to be 400 meters long and 100 meters wide, about 120 meters west of the late Lateiki Island. It lies between Kao and Late, belonging to the Ha'apai island group in northern Tonga.

Expert Taaniela Kula from Tonga Geological Services said the geological fluctuation was the result of 18 days of continuous eruption of a lava crater in the bottom of the sea since mid-October. The island, called Lateiki New , located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the area with frequent volcanic eruptions and responsible for 90% of earthquakes in the world.

Location of Tonga island nation.(Photo: Al Jazeera).

Most of the islands are made up of lava and volcanic ash usually only exist for a short time due to the unstable structure and susceptibility to corrosion. However, some special cases can last from a few years to dozens of years, even exist forever.

At the end of 2014, an undersea volcanic eruption also created a large island in Tonga. Initially, experts predicted it only existed for a few months but until now, after nearly 6 years, the island still stands and becomes the habitat of many birds with rich flora.