A new Japanese island created by a volcanic eruption last month has grown to more than three times its original size.
The island, located 621 miles south of Tokyo, was formed from lava that cooled and solidified above sea level following a large undersea volcano eruption in late November.
Since then, the island has expanded more than 3.5 times its original size following the eruption and currently covers around 0.02 square miles, according to officials at Japan Meteorological Agency.
The new landmass is believed to be withstanding erosion from seawater, prompting officials at the agency to speculate that the island may become a fixture on the landscape for some years to come.
“As the volcanic eruption is still continuing, we don’t know the fate of the island,” said Tomoyuki Kano, an agency official.
