Photo: Japanese Coast Guard Twitter
The World Daily | News Desk AUGUST 17th 2021
As a result of an eruption by an underwater volcano about 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo, a new island has formed, the Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday. The discovery was made on Sunday by the Japanese Coast Guard.
The newly formed island is in the shape of the letter "C" with a diameter of about one kilometer. It appeared in connection with an eruption of an underwater volcano about 50 km south of the island of Iwoto in the Pacific Ocean.
The eruption started on Friday and is still ongoing. The Japanese weather agency has issued warnings regarding smoke and ash in nearby waters.
The coastguard spotted the new island on Sunday as they monitored the volcano's eruption from the air. The volcanic lava pumice was floating in the water for a radius of 60 km and was moving north-westerly.
Kyodo points out that the newly formed island may be added to Japanese territory if it is recognized as a naturally formed piece of land in accordance with international standards. Due to its location, however, it will probably not expand the territorial waters area or the exclusive economic zone of Japan.
New islands appeared in the area in 1904, 1914 and 1986, but sank later due to erosion from waves and sea currents. The island, discovered in 1986, went under water two months after it was created, said the coast guard.
© The World Daily 2021 | News Desk
Source: Reuters, PAP
