It's on the grid: Japan’s new island still growing and won't disappear just yet
Scientist says the quake-created land mass that emerged off Tokyo can withstand erosion and can stand for years
A new island created by a volcanic eruption off Japan’s coast is here to stay – for now at least, scientists said Tuesday, adding the new landmass could withstand erosion for several years.
Lava that was dramatically vented when an undersea volcano began erupting last month cooled and solidified above the surface of the sea, creating a small island 1,000 kilometres south of Tokyo.
At the time, Japan’s coastguard said it was too early to mark a new entry on the national map because it could soon disappear.
But on Tuesday, Japan’s meteorological agency said the island looked set to hang around for some time.
“As the volcanic eruption is still continuing, we don’t know the fate of the island,” said agency official Tomoyuki Kano.
“But it won’t disappear in days or weeks, and will probably last for several years … unless a huge volcanic eruption happens and blows it apart,” he said.
Watch: Flying over the new island