What is the youngest new natural landmass that can be visited?
I recently visited the Vulcão dos Capelinhos, which is an extension of Faial Island in the Azores that erupted from the sea bed only 50 years ago.
Visiting this area gives you a great sense of the geological time scale. Although the island is quite fertile, on this piece of land there is really no vegetation whatsoever. I would like to visit more places like this. So is this the youngest landmass that came into existence naturally that I can visit? I am not interested in man-made land like the palm tree in Dubai, or Flevoland in the Netherlands
Best Answer
This isn't the "youngest", but in the years 1963 - 1967 a new island called "Surtsey" surfaced by the coast of Iceland, following a volcanic eruption.
It is however prohibited to visit Surtsey (unless you have a special research-guy permit).
- It is prohibited to visit Surtsey without a permit from the Surtsey Research Society, which manages all scientific research conducted on the island. The Environment and Food Agency has authorized the Society to supervise all activity on Surtsey.
Source: The Preservation of Surtsey
It is, however, possible to get pretty close to Surtsey, by boat. These guys offer a round trip: Viking Tours.
Pictures about "What is the youngest new natural landmass that can be visited?"
What is the newest island on earth?
One of the most famous new volcanic islands is the small island of Surtsey, located in the Atlantic Ocean south of Iceland. It first emerged from the ocean surface in 1963....List of recently created islands.Name of the islandCountryLand formation year(s)Ferdinandea islandItaly1831\u2013183229 more rowsWhat is the newest island in the Pacific?
For more than a decade, an undersea volcano has been erupting in the South Pacific near Tonga. The eruptions created a new island near Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai; then a potent blast wiped out the island in early 2022.How new island is formed?
Most are the result of underwater volcanic activity while some are caused by breakaway land or a buildup of silt or sand. While a few are only temporary\u2014eroding quickly after materializing\u2014many become permanent structures that receive names and become inhabited by plants, animals, and, eventually, people.Where is this volcanic island?
The Volcano Islands (\u706b\u5c71\u5217\u5cf6, Kazan Rett\u014d) or Iwo Islands (\u786b\u9ec4\u5217\u5cf6, I\u014d-rett\u014d) are a group of three Japanese-governed islands in Micronesia. They lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and belong to the municipality of Ogasawara, Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan.Exploring Landforms and Bodies of Water for Kids - FreeSchool
More answers regarding what is the youngest new natural landmass that can be visited?
Answer 2
K?lauea on the Big Island of Hawaii is active and has current lava flows adding area to the island. It's not safe to walk on really recent lava flows, and it's a bit difficult to the current flows. The New Kaimu Beach is on new land from around 20 years ago, and is easily accessible.
Answer 3
Volcano has raised new island far south of Japan
It is just off the coast of Nishinoshima, a small, uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain, which is also known as the Bonin Islands.
Here is also an Youtube video
Niijima continues to grow and has now merged with the original Nishino-shima. The Niijima portion of the island is now the largest part.
Answer 4
That can be visited is a bit ambiguous but most recent seems to be Tongan volcano forms new island from less than two years ago (16 January 2015, 18:05 AEDT):
A volcanic eruption in Tonga which has disrupted air travel has now formed a new island.
Tongan volcano forms new island (Credit: ABC)
The Hunga Ha'apai volcano has been sending an ash plume as high as thirty thousand feet into the air, forcing planes to be diverted from the area.
Scientists from New Zealand's GNS Science are in Tonga assisting local authorities observing the event..
Brad Scott, a GNS vulcanologist, says it's a remarkable opportunity to observe a volcanic eruption at first hand.
Answer 5
The one that I would like to travel to is the Mount St. Helens
This new landmass did not replace a sea zone but another landmass. The most spectacular is how life conquered the devastation only twenty years after the eruption.
Answer 6
Made by nature and can be visited, declared an island in 2003 Noorderhaaks is just off the coast of the Netherlands, near Den Helder and Texel.
There is no regular transport to the island but if you can find a 'private' boat you can get there. While the island is not as young as some in the other answers, it is still growing and you can be sure to be able to walk on the newest bits (which are beach.)
Noorderhaaks to the left, NASA - Screenshot from NASA World Wind, a public domain photo.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Erik Mclean, Ketut Subiyanto, Teona Swift