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Underwater Lava May Create New Canary Island

The mass keeps growing and growing ...

By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 29, 2011 11:52 AM CDT

(Newser) – An underwater volcano near the Canary Islands has been gushing lava for three weeks and might just form a brand-new island. The erupting magma has reached 330 feet above the sea floor, and it needs to reach up another 490 feet to break the surface of the Atlantic, reports Der Spiegel. Residents are already brainstorming names for the potential landmass including the Discovery, Atlantis, and the Best.

The submerged volcano sits near the southern-most Canary Island, El Hierro, located off the coast of northwest Africa, and has spouted a blob of ash larger than the island itself and killed scores of fish. It's the first such explosion of magma in the region in 40 years. Scientists are not positive the lava discharge will create a new island, but the flow has yet to slow down.

In this photo taken and released by the Canary regional government on Oct. 15, fragments from an underwater volcano are seen on the surface of the sea.
In this photo taken and released by the Canary regional government on Oct. 15, fragments from an underwater volcano are seen on the surface of the sea.   (AP Photo/Canary Island Government)
Aerial view taken on October 17 of a green and brown stain at sea, churned up by the underwater volcano.
Aerial view taken on October 17 of a green and brown stain at sea, churned up by the underwater volcano.   (Getty Images)
Aerial view taken on October 17 of a green stain off the coast of the Canary island of El Hierro. The undersea volcano is churning up the water.
Aerial view taken on October 17 of a green stain off the coast of the Canary island of El Hierro. The undersea volcano is churning up the water.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
zhangqqq
Oct 30, 2011 7:09 PM CDT
http://ygn.me/Gj79l1Q 
Falcon269
Oct 29, 2011 9:54 PM CDT
Time-share available......
JackNelsonSteward
Oct 29, 2011 2:09 PM CDT
Lo ihi ... southeast of "The Big Island" ... next in the Hawaiian Islands ... Get out your checkbooks.  There'll be beach front in 10 to 100 thousand years!!
 

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