Volcano Eruption Spawn New Island Off Coast of Japan
A volcano erupted on Wednesday causing an island in the seas to the far south of Tokyo to arise, says Japanese coast guards and earthquake experts. The "islet is about 660 feet and just off the coast of Nishinoshima, a small, uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain, also known as the Bonin Islands". The last time a volcano erupted in the area was in the mid-1970. "Much of the volcanic activity occurs under the sea, which extends thousands of meters deep along the Izu-ogasawara-Marianas Trench".
Television footage showed "heavy smoke, ash, and rocks exploding from the crater" which a volcanologist says, "the new island might be eroded away...but it also could remain permanently". Japan's chief government spokesman says he is happy to welcome new territory, even though the island is very tiny. When asked if the government is planning to name the island Yoshihide Suga responded "if it becomes a full-fledged island, we would be happy to have more territory...this has happened before and in some cases the islands disappeared".
Japan has plans to build "port facilities and transplant fast-growing coral fragments onto Okinotorishima, two rocky outcroppings even further south of Tokyo, to boost its claim in a territorial dispute with China". It sure is exciting to have another piece of territory just naturally appear in our world. As the Japanese said; it's nothing new to them but to us "regular people" it really is exciting.
Of course we think of a new island as a new place to possibly vacation. We imagine white sandy beaches, beautiful wooden resorts and a souvenir store with the cutest flower bathing suits ever. Don't you just love the American mind set? Everything is just "beautiful birds fly into the sunset" to us. Well, hopefully this island will remain and Japan will get to decide what to with it. Doubting that our island dreams will come true, we wish them, new territory. What do you think will happen with this new island? What would your perfect island consist of?