The islet is located about 1,200 kilometers south of the Japanese capital Tokyo and is part of the Bonin Islands, also known as the Ogasawara Archipelago.
Volcanologist Secuja Nakada of the University of Tokyo said the islet is formed by solidified lava that had been building up under the sea for some time and broke through to the surface after the volcano erupted on October 30.
“The islet is easily subject to erosion. But as long as the volcanic activity continues, the chance of its preservation is high because the lava flow will help its restoration,” said Nakada. However, according to him, the continuation of the eruption is uncertain.
Nakada said the formation of the new islet is reminiscent of the process in which another new island formed in the area in 2013 and eventually merged with Nishinoshima Island. “It is possible that the new islet could merge with Iwo Jima if the eruption continues,” Nakada said.
Japan, which is a country of frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity, is famous for the number of islands, according to the AFP agency, there are over 6,850 of them. The most famous of the Bonin Islands is probably the island of Iwo Jima, for which the Americans fought a fierce battle with the Japanese during the Second World War.
Iwo Jima
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