NASA Spots New Island As Underwater Volcano Erupts

According to NASA, islands formed by undersea volcanoes are often "short-lived,"; therefore, the newly formed island may not be here to stay.

The Home Reef volcano was still active and spewing lava as of Monday.

Hours after an undersea volcano erupted not far from Australia; a new baby island appeared in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The Home Reef volcano in the Central Tonga Islands has recently begun erupting, discolouring the surrounding sea with its lava, steam, and ash. According to NASA Earth Observatory, which obtained satellite imagery of the island, it erupted above the water's surface just eleven hours after the eruption.

According to a NASA press release, the infant island expanded rapidly. Scientists from Tonga Geological Services determined the island's dimensions on September 14. They determined that it covered an area of 4,000 square metres (1 acre) and rose 10 metres (33 feet) above sea level. The researchers reported the island's expansion to a total area of 24,000 square metres on September 20. (6 acres).

According to the US space agency, the new island can be found on the seamount of Home Reef in the Central Tonga Islands, which is southwest of Late Island. However, it also mentioned that the infant island might disappear in the future.

NASA said that submarine volcanoes "typically result in short-lived islands, though they occasionally survive for years," NASA said.

A 12-day eruption of the adjacent Late'iki Volcano in 2020 formed an island that washed away two months later, although an earlier island built by the same volcano in 1995 lasted for 25 years.

Meanwhile, the Tonga Geological Services reported Monday that the Home Reef volcano continued to erupt. In a statement, officials noted that there had been 21 separate volcanic episodes at Home Reef Volcano in the last 24 hours, indicating that the volcanic activity is progressive. However, they noted that the Aviation Community and the people of central Tonga Vava'u and Ha'apai islands have only a "minimal risk" from the volcano's ongoing activity.