The Red Sea appears to have a tiny new island, courtesy of an underwater eruption.
The island – essentially lava that cooled after breaking through the water's surface – began forming this month between Yemen and Eritrea among the Zubair archipelago, a group of small islands that come from a submarine shield volcano, according to NASA and the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program.
NASA’s Earth-Observing-1 satellite captured an image (above) showing the new mass with a plume – perhaps volcanic ash and water vapor – rising from it on December 23, NASA’s Earth Observatory website says. The island appeared to be less than one-third of a mile in diameter, according to the Global Volcanism Program.
The image came four days after local news reports said fishermen saw an eruption in the sea, with lava rising up to 90 feet in the air, according to NASA.
The shield volcano from which the Zubair islands stem (the largest of which is 5 kilometers long) last erupted in the 19th century, according to the Global Volcanism Program.
Wordwide, new islands emerge from volcanic eruptions about once every few years, and not all of them survive beyond three years, because waves can break them apart, GVP volcanologist Rick Wunderman said Thursday. It's not clear whether the new Red Sea island will last, but the material that emerges from the Red Sea typically is more structurally sound than other areas, Wunderman said.
"That's usually the (material) that you see in the Red Sea – not so rich in gasses, more able to withstand waves and storms," he said.
People looking for an island getaway might want to keep searching, though. "It'd be hard to live there," Wunderman said. "(Fresh) water, safe harbor, all that kind of stuff would be really quite the challenge."
Wunderman said the central to southern Red Sea has seen plenty of volcanic activity recently, with as many as 10 eruptions in the past five years.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Erection creates white island in pink sea
Oh WOW Something new to fight over!
I claim this island as my own!
dibs.
Now that all the evil scientists have arrived, we will start the bidding do I hear 1 meelion dollars. Yes, you with the cat. And do I have.... yes, over there 2 meelion dollars to the gentleman with the prosthesis...
So who owns the land. Can I have it???
All you young-earth enthusiasts and creationists take note. I had nothing to do with this! This is a natural geological phenomenon for you to witness. Similar events led to formation of Galapagos and Hawaiian Islands - to name two. Once organisms are transported to this island, they will diverge genetically from their parent populations. They will evolve! This will occur naturally, without divine intervention. Enjoy!
True. But remember God, you created all the animals of the Earth and the people in your image. Thanks God !
two words.. "micro evolution" No "new" species will form.
Fred, how could the diverse array of body plans represented by animals conform to any one"image"? I thought you believers purported that MAN was made in god's image, not that centipedes or jellyfish were.
Wait, what? Hey god, like how can you say that? Wait, you're like God. You can like say anything you like want. Whatever....
@Matthew: What makes up MACRO evolution? Would that be many instances of MICRO evolution? Ummm, yep. The Universe evolves Naturally. God is not controlling it.
Mico evolution is the development of traits within a specific specieis. Longer beeks and the such. Macro would be the delusional leap of frogs to birds. Here are another two words to think about. "Irreducible complexity"
Matthew. Microevolution is only one word. (For example, when does "micro" stand on its own?) If you acknowledge small evolutionary change - without defining it (but you don't even know how to spell it!) - then there is no defensible objection to large or even huge changes. No one ever proclaimed that frogs evolved into birds. But another kind of amphibian, long extinct, gave rise to reptiles, including birds.
Thank you Nancy for your corrections. I have a cold and am typing things out in a less than thorough manner. Please forgive. My point still stands in light of the argument raised concerning island diversification. My point being, a bird transplanted to a deserted island, given the provisions to procreate and live, will not "evolve" into a new species but will perhaps (if ned be) micro-evolve to adjust to the the environment. If the environment in its current state is not conducive to its existence, it will die off. Again,forgive the grammar. I think I am running a fever. LOL
Mine ! Mine ! Mine ! I claim this land in the name of ME !
I am the new God of this land. I shall be known as Me.
This is because the Mayan people KNEW about planets aligning and pulling at earth crust. Sheeple this aint nothing until California opens up Dec 2012. One year to go.......then DIE !
You're freakin' re-tarded.
You looking forward to going ?
You're trolling, right? I do the same thing myself sometimes: Make some completely uninformed statement designed to anger people who think logically and get that angry reaction that we trolls treasure. You're a bit too obvious.
When can I move in?
still being renovated
Usually when something happens in the Red Sea, people blame the Mossad: http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/it-was-the-mossad-1/
That's just part of the earth that God created in six days. We just never noticed it before.
THERE IS A STAMPEDE OF JEWS TRYING TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THAT ISLAND !...AND CLAIM THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ARE A FAKE AND DO NOT EXIST.
Oh Sarah. That was like totally nasty. You should like watch what you like say. Like God reads this and like posted a good explanation before. He's gonna get you.
Sarah, you have a Hebrew name. Just thought you should know.
U.S.A. is not interested, no oil.
Sarah, you know your name means Princess is Hebrew?