This is the island of Surtsey, Iceland which started to form 130 metres below sea level and reached the surface on 14 November 1963. The eruption lasted 4 years when the island reached its maximum size of 2.7 square kilometres but erosion has taken the island's size to 1.4 square kilometres in 2002.
The first evidence of Atlantic Puffins nesting on Surtsey was found in 2004. Insects had already arrived via wind and water borne driftwood by 1964. Seals and Orcas swim in the waters and starfish and sea urchins colonise the submarine slopes. (I love Puffins)
This is Surtsey in 1999. The loose tephra from the initial eruption has been eroded but the remaining island material is made up of hard lava flows. Erosion or global warming might see it disappear again by next century.
This is Surtsey in 1999. The loose tephra from the initial eruption has been eroded but the remaining island material is made up of hard lava flows. Erosion or global warming might see it disappear again by next century.
Images and information from Wikipedia.
14 comments:
They eat puffins in Iceland.
I wonder if they eat those beaks, like the Chinese do with ducks?
I can't visit your blog on dial-up, I'm too old to wait for it to load but I envy the light sabres.
Hi, my name is Robert. I am not mad.
I've got ants, first time in ages, little black bastards. (White ants are bastards too.) Sexy Beryl had ants, hordes of them, and a nature strip three feet high. The neighbours could have mowed it for her, but didn't like to interfere. That's what happened to me, no one interfered, and look what you get.
BOOM!
-Robert.
On topic.
You won't get comments for this, people want gossip, not geography.
I've always found it amazing how islands are formed. I used to worry that the volcanic eruption would always be there simmering away underneath, just waiting to erupt again, but that doesn't happen much does it?
Robbert, aren't ants supposed to be a sign of rain? I'm sure you can buy something called 'Ant Sugar' which stops them.
I put geography posts up because this blog was getting like 'Twitter' bits. I will be back to talking about myself before long.
River, the whole of the Pacific basin isn't called the 'Rim of Fire' for nothing. We have very young extinct volcanoes in Victoria and quite a few fault lines that like to rumble. It's amazing how many earthquakes we have every month, mostly in Western Australia. The Geoscience website is http://www.ga.gov.au and it gives the earthquakes for every week.
The whole earth is a'shakin.
Darlings I've just been down to the ATM and it said: "Sorry we are closed for a moment."
How long is a moment? I didn't know. And so I went to the supermarket then came back. Still closed.
What liars. Bloody liars. Maybe I'll borrow their vault for a moment!
-Robert!
(Practising for his own blog)
They eat puffins in Iceland?! Surely not. They're so ... puffiny.
I'd heard someone sciency mention, about 18 mths/2 yrs ago, that they were re-thinking the extinct volcanoes theory as so many "extinct" ones had become active again.
So....am not moving to Mt Gambier in a hurry! lol
In lieu of a crispy skin duck drizzled with XO sauce I'd settle for a lightly sauteed puffin on a muffin. (Second only to a steamed strumpet on a crumpet.)
Gelded puffins that'd be. Unlike the insatiable Coppertop, I'm not into stud muffin puffins.
How long is a moment? Same length as a piece of string I'd guess........
Robbert, that means they're loading it up with nice fresh money but how rude to make you wait.
Baron, I can't imagine the taste, fishy, not much on the wings though.
Jayne, they're lighting up like candles but the big big big one is Yellowstone National Park which they're calling the supervolcano.
Try saying that without your teeth, MiLord. I had to wipe the screen. As for the steamed crumpet, anyone for fetish?
River, don't give Sedgwick an inch.
You'd have to be puffin' muffins to muff a puffin.
Just on another note, do you ever wish for more sensible debate on your comment threads?
Sensible debate, Phil?
On this blog?
With visitors like Sedgwick and Hughes, not to mention my poet in residence, Robbert.
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