The Birth of An Island, BBC Video
Courtesy of BBC Earth
The dramatic birth of a new volcanic island in the Pacific has been witnessed by an international team of scientists.
The rare event was captured on film by researchers during an expedition to the Solomon Islands.
By BBC News science editor Dr David Whitehouse
The Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation’s (Csiro) Research Vessel Franklin, based in Australia, found the Kavachi seamount had entered in the last decade, a new phase of eruptive activity after years of apparent dormancy.
Kavachi is 35 km (21 miles) from the closest island, in the western Solomons, and was first surveyed in the 1950s.
Molten ash shot 500 metres (1,600 ft) into the air every five minutes of the team’s 20-hour visit.
The peak of the volcano was forming a sandy, ashen beach two metres below sea level, with its regular, violent, bomb-like eruptions.
“We arrived at the seamount site to find waves breaking on the volcanic peak. Violent eruptions were taking place every five minutes,” said expedition Chief Scientist Brent McInnes.
Dr McInnes said: “It was magma being ejected from the top of a magma chamber, which is below sea level. This magma has a lot of gas in it so it’s a very explosive mixture whenever it comes close to the surface.
Neil Cheshire, Master of the RV Franklin, said: “We were able to approach to within 750 m (2,500 ft) of the erupting centre. We found that the volcano had grown dramatically since it was last surveyed in 1984.”
Professor Richard Arculus, of the Australian National University Department of Geology, added: “Using Franklin to systematically sample freshly formed volcanic rocks from the flanks of an erupting submarine volcano is an unprecedented opportunity in the field of geology.”
And researcher Gary Massoth said: “We detected numerous chemical and particle plumes in the water that extend at least 5 km (3 miles) from the centre of the volcano. This has been a great opportunity for us to obtain fundamental data on dynamic volcanic inputs to the ocean environment”
Alex says:
Awesome
jordi says:
Como nace una isla.
Ana
Carlos Arturo Arias Villa says:
Como nace una isla
FERNANDO says:
MARAVILLOSO
Ruby Robledo says:
I never saw it before. It is very interesting
Ruby Robledo says:
I can´t write another comment. I just think that it is fantastic.
atos says:
es muy grandioso y espectacular el poder que tiene la naturaleza por surgir o mejor NACER, al ver este video observa uno lo maravilloso que tuvo que ser ese momento para las personas que se enocontraban ahi y pienso lo que me hubiera fascinado estar ahi. gracias por mostrarnos estas cosas hermosas. AMO LA NATURALEZA, NO LA DESTRUYAS.
Carlina Sepúlveda Ortiz says:
SUPER ESPECTACULAR, EL BROTE DE UN NUEVO HIJO DE LA MADRE TIERRA, OJALA LAS PERSONAS LA CUIDEMOS PARA QUE NO SINTAMOS EL PODER DE SU DESTRUCCION CUANDO SE ENOJA;SINO LO CONTRARIO: QUE DISFRUTEMOS DE SU NUEVO REGALO!
Calabuch says:
Guys and Dolls, u all are watching a new island it’s starting to being alive…..
Your Mayor (prior) mission is :
Don’t destroy what the NATURE is doing on this land…..
Don’t manipulate what the NATURE it’s doing on this land…..
Don’t ……
Don’t…..
But the Mankind is stubborn, ignorant, and silly……
laura says:
Espero que el ser humano aprenda a cuidar lo más hermoso y maravilloso que tenemos en este mundo, y que es la única HERENCIA que nos puede dejar nuestra madre tierra, y el hecho de que yo mencione a “NUESTRA MADRE TIERRA”, no quiere decir que podamos destruirla.