The eruption of a volcano near Tonga has resulted in the formation of a new island, and that tiny formation is facing an uncertain future.
The Tongan volcano has been erupting for several weeks, an event that recently disrupted air travel over the Pacific archipelago.
Small islands often form as lava released by volcanoes strikes water, quickly cooling into solid rock. This new island formed roughly 40 miles northwest of the national capital of Nuku'alofa.
Nico Fournier is a volcanolgist from New Zealand who recently traveled by boat to the waters surrounding the volcano and newly-formed island. The researcher reports the new land form is roughly 1.1 miles long, and 0.9 miles wide, and reaches 325 feet above the surface of the water. Scoria, a form of volcanic basalt, makes up most of the island, Fournier reports. Most of the gases seen escaping from the volcano is steam, and ash released by the eruption is reaching heights of just 1.2 miles.
"It's quite an exciting site, you get to see the birth of an island. Visually it was quite spectacular, but there was no big sound coming with it, no boom. It was a bit eerie," Fournier said.
Aircraft need to avoid areas above volcanoes, since ash can enter air intakes, and form hard deposits within engines, damaging the delicate mechanisms. This can be extremely hazardous to flights, However, if estimates of the maximum altitude of ash developed by Fournier are correct, potential dangers to aircraft are likely low.
Once the eruption ceases, and deposits of the volcanic rock end, waves and other actions of the ocean will likely wear down the island within a few weeks, until the land formation disappears beneath the water. The island formed in waters between 328 and 656 feet deep, relatively shallow waters that could eat away at the structure of the tiny island. New land formed in the region following a 2009 eruption.
"Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai eruption forms a new island in #tonga. Great observation trip with the Tongan Navy," Fournier tweeted on January 17.
Flights over the island chain of Tonga were curtailed for a short period of time as volcanic ash rose into the sky above the nation of 176 islands and 106,000 people.
The Tongan volcano could deposit lava or other material on the nascent island, allowing the formation to survive beyond the immediate future. If that is the case, the power to name the new landmass would reside with Tupou 6th, the king of Tonga.
