The island measures about 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) in width and 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) in length

Mar 13, 2015 09:19 GMT  ·  By

A while back, in December 2014, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano in the South Pacific Ocean, located at a distance of about 30 kilometers (roughly 18.5 miles) from Tonga's island of Fonuafoʻou, started acting up.

By this year's January, a proper eruption, complete with massive clouds of ash, Steam and smoke, was in bloom. The eruption proved to be so powerful that the muddy discharge it coughed out turned the water around the volcano a dirty red.

This little show put on by the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano need be credited with birthing a brand new island in this remote corner of the South Pacific Ocean. A rather impressive size-wise and yet quite feeble island, to be more precise.

How the new island formed

The island birthed by the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in the South Pacific during this latest eruption measures some 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) across at its widest point and roughly 1.3 kilometers (1.3 kilometers) in length. At its highest point, the island stands 250 meters (820 feet) tall.

Folks who have had the chance to take a close look at the island say that it is entirely made of bits and pieces of rock and debris arranged by the volcanic eruption in a neat pile. Because of this, geologists warn that it is probably not stable and could collapse at any moment.

Hotel owner GP Orbassano, who visited it together with his son and one of his friends just a few days ago, says that, although not very welcoming, the island is quite a sight, what with the barren landscape and the sulfuric lakes resting on its surface.

“We had a beautiful view of the volcano, which inside is now full of green emerald water, smelling of sulphur and other chemicals.” GP Orbassano said in an interview, as cited by ABC News. “The view was fantastic. It was absolutely amazing,” he added.

A potential tourist attraction?

Hotel owner GP Orbassano says that there is no reason this newly formed island in the South Pacific Ocean could not become Tonga's latest tourist attraction. Truth be told, he's right when assuming that plenty of people would pay good money to visit it.

The trouble is that, as mentioned, this island created by the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano is basically a huge pile of debris and, therefore, not stable. Otherwise put, perhaps it would be best if people were to settle for admiring it from a distance.

New island formed by volcano in the South Pacific (5 Images)

There's a new island in the South Pacific
The island formed during a volcanic eruptionBecause it's made of debris, the island is not stable
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