New island discovered south of Tokyo after submarine volcano erupts

Aug 18, 2021 | News On Japan

Aug 18, 2021 (Japan Today) - A new island has been discovered near Iwoto Island located around 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo after a submarine volcano began erupting late last week, the Japan Coast Guard said Monday.

The new island is C-shaped, with a diameter of approximately one kilometer. It was discovered after the volcano some 50 km south of Iwoto in the Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean started erupting on Friday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued warnings about smoke and large ash deposits in nearby waters as an active eruption is expected to continue.

The coast guard found the newly formed island when it observed the eruption from the air on Sunday, according to the weather agency. Pumice created by the volcanic activity was also found by the coast guard floating across a 60-km area in a northwest direction.

Given the location, however, the new island is unlikely to affect the country's territorial waters or exclusive economic zone even if it remains above the surface.

Source: Kyodo

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