Volcanic Landforms Reveal Clues About Planetary Origins
The South Pacific is home to new islands that seemingly appear out of nothing. Volcanoes erupt below the ocean’s surface, spewing hot lava that eventually cools down and hardens, becoming an island.
As volcanic activity creates new land formations across the globe, scientists study these brand-new islands to learn how our planet was formed, as well as other planets and moons in the solar system.
Land Appearing Out of Nowhere
Most of the South Pacific’s volcanic landforms wash away in a couple months, but a new island that formed in 2015 in the island nation of Tonga is lasting long enough for scientists to investigate.
According to Space.com, the island, unofficially called Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, formed when an undersea volcano erupted in December 2014 through January 2015. Scientists kept an eye on the island before it even formed and used satellite imagery to watch it slowly rise out of the ocean.
