According to reporters in Tokyo, Japanese researchers have reported that a recent underwater volcanic eruption has led to the formation of a new island near Iwo Jima, located approximately 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo.
The aerial photograph taken by Kyodo News on October 30, 2023, shows a steam column rising from the waters off Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwo Jima, in the Pacific Ocean. A new island with a diameter of 100 meters has formed from the rocks ejected by the steam plumes. (Photo: Kyodo)
The new island primarily consists of rock formations, formed to the north of the erupting volcano and is part of the Ogasawara Islands. According to the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo, the island may expand further if volcanic activity continues.
Professor Setsuya Nakada, an emeritus professor of volcanology at the University of Tokyo, stated that magma has been erupting underwater near Iwo Jima for some time. This is referred to as a phreatomagmatic eruption, where magma solidifies into rock beneath the surface.
Professor Nakada flew over the area last week. He noted that after the eruption on October 30, the accumulated solidified magma began to break through the surface, leading to the formation of the new island. According to Professor Nakada, the island consists of easily eroded pumice piles, but as long as the volcano remains active, the likelihood of the island’s persistence is high due to the protective lava flow. However, it is still uncertain whether further eruptions will occur.
Professor Nakada added that the way this island has emerged is similar to how another new island formed in 2013, which eventually merged with Nishinoshima, an island in the Ogasawara chain. Nishinoshima was also created from an underwater volcanic eruption and eventually reached a diameter of about 2 kilometers. According to Professor Nakada, it is possible that the new island will merge with Iwo Jima if volcanic activity continues.
Previously, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that since October 21, it had detected tremors occurring every few minutes on Iwo Jima, followed by eruptions offshore of the southern coast.
Iwo Jima is an active volcano located in the southern part of the Ogasawara Islands. It is situated approximately 60 kilometers south of the Fukutoku-Okanoba volcano, which experienced a significant underwater eruption in 2021.
