This island has come to stay: In the South Pacific, a mysterious new island formed after a volcanic eruption – it puzzles researchers.
Tonga – About seven years ago, a spectacular natural spectacle occurred around the islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha’apai. When an underwater volcano erupted near the Pacific Islands (* FR reported), it spat lava and smoke clouds up to nine kilometers high into the air. The underwater island Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai was created. The unusual thing about this island, besides its name, is that it is so persistent.
Usually, islands formed by volcanoes disappear relatively quickly. But Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai grew within three weeks to a diameter of two kilometers and a height of up to 120 meters. “The island is fighting for its life and currently it looks like it could be there for a few more decades,” said Jim Garvin of the Goddard Space Flight Center.
New Tonga Island: Evolution could provide conclusions for Mars
NASA assumes that the island will continue to exist for up to 30 years. In an impressive time-lapse video, the space agency shows how the island in the South Pacific formed after the volcanic eruption. For the time lapse, NASA used high-resolution satellite images shortly after the island was built. The pictures show the first six months of Tonga Island.
According to NASA, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai could, as the first volcanic Tonga island, give researchers information about their developing life. Since volcanic islands surrounded by water also existed on Mars, the Tonga Island could serve as a kind of model for inferences about the Red Planet. * FR is an offer from IPPEN.Media.
