Birth of two volcanic islands in the southern Red Sea

Wenbin Xu, Joel Ruch, Sigurjon Jonsson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

Submarine eruptions that lead to the formation of new volcanic islands are rare and far from being fully understood; only a few such eruptions have been witnessed since Surtsey Island emerged to the south of Iceland in the 1960s. Here we report on two new volcanic islands that were formed in the Zubair archipelago of the southern Red Sea in 2011–2013. Using high-resolution optical satellite images, we find that the new islands grew rapidly during their initial eruptive phases and that coastal erosion significantly modified their shapes within months. Satellite radar data indicate that two north–south-oriented dykes, much longer than the small islands might suggest, fed the eruptions. These events occurred contemporaneously with several local earthquake swarms of the type that typically accompany magma intrusions. Earthquake activity has been affecting the southern Red Sea for decades, suggesting the presence of a magmatically active zone that has previously escaped notice.
Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalNature Communications
Volume6
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - May 26 2015

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