|
. | . |
|
by Staff Writers Tokyo (AFP) Mar 02, 2015 Famously crowded Japan is getting a bit more space as a newly-formed volcanic island just keeps on growing. New footage of the remote Nishinoshima, some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) south of Tokyo, shows a volcano erupting up to six times a minute, spewing huge volumes of magma -- and scientists say there is plenty more still to come. A tiny islet emerged in November 2013 right next to the original Nishinoshima, when molten rock cooled and began to poke its head just above the water. That speck of land grew as the volcano kept going, and soon engulfed its once larger neighbour. The new super-island is now a respectable 2.46 square kilometres (0.95 square miles), the Japan Coast Guard says -- roughly the size of 345 football pitches -- while the still-spewing volcano is now a healthy 100 metres (330 feet) tall. Kenji Nogami of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, who helped conduct the latest of the coastguard's monthly observations, said volcanic activity is likely to continue for the time being. "There have not been any significant changes at the volcanic vent of the pyroclastic cone, where eruptions of lava are seen several times a minute," he said in a statement. "Magma has risen to shallow areas of the vent, and lava flows to the east have continued to stretch out. "Therefore, I conclude a stable supply of magma is continuing," he said. The coastguard has asked sailors to stay away from the island. Japan sits on the Pacific ring of fire, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are relatively commonplace.
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |