New and exciting Volcanic Islands

Volcanic islands are those which are able to penetrate the surface of the ocean. The largest land volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii which is 4km in height and has a land area of 5,200 square km. Off the coast of Japan however the Tamu Massif is an underwater volcano that rivals Olympus Mons, a volcano on Mars which has long been considered the largest volcano in our solar system. The Tamu massif is 6km in height and covers an area of 250,000km 2. That is simply huge. Here is a satellite image of the Tamu Massif.

In the South Pacific in March this year a new volcanic island breaches the surface of the ocean in Tonga. Here is a picture of the new island which scientists have warned is very unstable and would be dangerous for humans to access. Scientists are monitoring this new land carefully for signs of stabilisation and colonisation of species.