A new island is being formed in the Pacific Ocean as a result of volcanic eruption. The volcanic activity is caught on video by experts who approached the spot by boat, in an effort to investigate the phenomenon.
The new island formation takes place about 65 kilometers (40miles) northwest of Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa, in the South Pacific Ocean. The volcano began spewing large quantities of rock and dense ash since December 20 from two different vents. According to volcano experts who witnessed the volcanic activity earlier this month, eruptions were occurring every five minutes ejecting material to a height of about 400 meters. Ash and acidic rain were spread over a diameter of 10 kilometers around the volcano. The island measures so far one kilometer in width and two kilometers in length and is about 100 meters high. It is estimated though that as soon as the volcano stops erupting, the ocean will gradually erode most of it, as it is formed mainly by loose scoria and not the much more durable lava.
Tonga, located about 2,000 kilometers northeast of New Zealand, is in the area of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", frequently hit by intense earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, due to the collision of continental plates.
Watch breathtaking pictures of the erupting volcano in the video below!
Sources: newsdiscovery.com, LiveLeak.com, <br />
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