Nishinoshima (Ogasawara)
Active volcanic island belonging to the Volcano Islands arc / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Nishi-no-shima (Japanese: 西之島, "western island") is a volcanic island located around 940 km (584 mi) south-southeast of Tokyo,[2] that is part of the Volcano Islands arc. Nishinoshima is located about 130 km to the west of the nearest of the Ogasawara islands, hence the name, but the other Ogasawara island groups are aligned north-south. The nearest of the other Volcano islands is over 270 km away, but Nishinoshima is on the alignment of the Volcano islands. It was formed by ash from a underwater volcanic eruption.
Native name: 西之島 | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | Pacific Ocean |
Coordinates | 27°14′49″N 140°52′28″E |
Archipelago | Volcano Islands |
Total islands | 1 |
Area | 4.1[1] km2 (1.6 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 200 m (700 ft) |
Administration | |
Prefecture | Tokyo |
Subprefecture | Ogasawara Subprefecture |
Village | Ogasawara |
Demographics | |
Population | 0 |
Originally the above-water part of the ridge of an underwater caldera, Nishinoshima was enlarged in 1974 after fresh eruptions created a new section of the island. Another eruption that began in November 2013 further enlarged the island and attracted worldwide attention.[3][4][5] A volcanic cone soon formed, rising to an estimated height of 142 m (466 ft) by July 2016.[2][6] The eruptions ceased by November 2015, though emissions of volcanic gases continued for several months afterwards.
As of 2016, the island was about 2.7 km2 (1.0 sq mi) in size and showed evidence of the return of various plants and animal species.[7]
There were further eruptions in 2017,[8] 2018, and in 2019–2020.[9] As of 14 August 2020, it is about 4.1 km2 (1.6 sq mi) and over 2 km (1.2 mi) in diameter.[1]