New Island Appears After Underwater Volcano Eruption Near Japan's Iwoto

The new island after the underwater volcanic eruption in Iwoto, Japan. (Source: Japan Self Maritime Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - A small island just appeared near Iwoto Island, about 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo, Japan, following an underwater volcanic eruption that has occurred since late last month, according to a researcher.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said rocks coming out of underwater volcanic eruptions had formed a new land, citing NHK November 10.

Meanwhile, Fukashi Maeno, professor at the University of Tokyo Institute of Earthquake Research, said he confirmed a phrotomagmatic eruption occurred about 1 km from Iwoto Island in the Pacific and a rocky island with a diameter of about 100 meters, quoted from Kyodo News.

The water rises every few minutes during the eruption, caused by magma and sea water interactions, and may reach a height of more than 50 meters, sometimes vomiting rocks with a diameter of a few meters, Maeno said.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, an eruption also occurred in the area between July and December 2022, as well as June this year. The agency said it believed the latest eruption began on October 21.

The eruption "shows the resumption of magmatic activity. The new island is expected to get bigger if the eruption continues, but the forecast is still uncertain," said Maeno.

"We need to see the progress," Japanese Meteorological Agency analyst Yuji Usui told AP.

It is known that Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, is part of the Ogasawara Islands.