Island Devours its Neighbor

A newly formed island in the Pacific Ocean, near Japan, has devoured it's older neighbor. Niijima was formed last year 620 miles south of Tokyo as a result of volcanic activity in the Ring of Fire. Photographs, taken by the Japanese Coast Guard last month, indicate that since its birth, Niijima continued to grow and had taken over its neighbor, Nishino-Shima. The two islands are now conjoined, but Niijima is the dominant mass.

The two islands are the top of an underwater volcano that has been erupting for quite some time now. This is the first major activity of this volcano since the 1970's. As the volcano erupts, sediment is moved underneath the ocean. The sediment collects at the surface and forms an island. Continuous eruptions would cause an island, like Niijima, to grow in size. This type of volcanic activity is called Strombolian explosions.