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Birth of two volcanic islands in the southern Red Sea

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  • Wenbin Xu

    (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST))

  • Joël Ruch

    (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST))

  • Sigurjón Jónsson

    (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST))

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenbin Xu & Joël Ruch & Sigurjón Jónsson, 2015. "Birth of two volcanic islands in the southern Red Sea," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-7, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8104
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8104
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