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One of Earth's newest islands grows dramatically from volcanic eruption, NASA images show

The land mass poking out above the Pacific Ocean is around the Central Tonga islands
New island forms in Pacific - NASA
Posted at 9:08 PM, Sep 27, 2022
and last updated 2022-09-27 21:08:44-04

A new baby island is forming in the Pacific Ocean around the Central Tonga islands, NASA satellite images show.

The island is forming amid volcanic activity as its center continues to spew lava, steam, and ash.

Images from NASA showed the tiny island grow from about an acre in size by mid-September to more than eight acres just days later.

The first part of the land mass is estimated to have formed in just 11 hours.

NASA said the volcano began erupting around Sept. 10 and is situated on what is called the Home Reef seamount, according to the space agency's Earth Observatory.

The mass is known as an atoll, and it is thought that the island could last for years.

Nearby, the Late'iki Volcano created an island in 1995 that lasted for 25 years.

Home Reef is part of the Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone. The area has three tectonic plates that smash into one another, creating active undersea volcanoes.