New island emerges from sea after volcano erupts near Japan
- 10 years ago
Japan has a new island after a volcano erupted under the ocean, pushing a mass of earth above the surface.
The event which happened far to the south of Tokyo in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” was filmed by the Japanese coastguard.
Smoke from the eruption rose almost 600 metres into the air.
The last time this happened was said to be 40 years ago, when another island nearby appeared from the depths.
Yoshihide Suga, chief cabinet secretary of Japan, said: “The government is delighted at its new acquisition.
“If our territory can expand then all the better. If this island can become a proper island, then that would indeed mean that our territory would get larger.”
Japan has plans to develop other rocky outcrops in the area to boost its claims in a territorial dispute with China.
But it says it’s too early to give the new island a name, as sometimes volcanically-formed land like this has simply sunk back into the waves.
The event which happened far to the south of Tokyo in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” was filmed by the Japanese coastguard.
Smoke from the eruption rose almost 600 metres into the air.
The last time this happened was said to be 40 years ago, when another island nearby appeared from the depths.
Yoshihide Suga, chief cabinet secretary of Japan, said: “The government is delighted at its new acquisition.
“If our territory can expand then all the better. If this island can become a proper island, then that would indeed mean that our territory would get larger.”
Japan has plans to develop other rocky outcrops in the area to boost its claims in a territorial dispute with China.
But it says it’s too early to give the new island a name, as sometimes volcanically-formed land like this has simply sunk back into the waves.