Our planet does not stop developing and changing. Not only mountains are growing, not only the flora and fauna of the continents are changing, but whole new islands appear! The main contributor to such sensational changes is often volcanic activity, and Surtsey Island is no exception to the rule.
A new piece of land appeared above the water 30 kilometers off the southern coast of Iceland. It is one of the youngest islands on Earth and is only 54 years old. Yes, you can't find it on old maps! And yes, half a century is decent for one person, but negligible for the ecosystem.
Like most islands, Surtsey was triggered by an underwater volcanic eruption that began its activity at a depth of 130 meters in the Norwegian Sea. Molten lava flowed from the bowels of the earth, accumulated on the ocean floor, and due to the excess of volcanic rock, a seamount began to grow in this place. The island officially appeared above the water surface on November 14, 1963.
Surtsei's amazing birth was witnessed by the crew of the trawler, which was just sailing in the vicinity. Seeing in the distance a column of smoke rising to the sky, the captain of the ship assumed that someone's boat was on fire, and help was needed. He ordered his crew to steer the ship towards the fire to find out what had happened. Instead of drowning sailors, the team discovered a whole new island slowly growing above the water. In a few days, the dimensions of the land reached 500 meters in length and 45 meters in height.
The new island was named after Surtur, the fire god from Norse mythology. Less than 3 weeks after the appearance of the new land above the water, a team of 3 French journalists arrived at the scene, daring to set foot on the virgin land, which at that time was still a smoldering rock. They stayed on the island for 15 minutes until a violent eruption forced the researchers to leave the site. The French did not lay claim to this land, despite the fact that they were the first people to land on Surtsey, although they joked about it several times. Before the situation became too serious and politicized, Iceland was quick to establish its authority over the new territory.
All this time, the volcano continued to erupt, and the island grew in size. When the underground activity finally subsided on June 5, 1967, the new island grew to 2.7 square kilometers. The highest point on land reached 174 meters above sea level. However, since the end of the volcanic eruption, Surtsey began to gradually decrease in size. The new earth consists largely of a loose pile of volcanic rock - tephra, which is eroded very quickly and is easily washed away by the northern waters of the Atlantic Ocean. By 2012, the island's surface area had halved, and its highest point was already at 155 meters. According to experts, if the dynamics are stable, Surtsey will completely disappear in 100 years. However, scientists hope that erosion will decrease over time.especially when the central part of the island is exposed, consisting directly of solidified lava, more durable and resistant to external influences. If everything goes exactly according to this scenario, the new land will be able to exist for many more centuries.
Lava eruption at Surtsee on April 24, 1964. Photo: Garðar Pálsson
Surtsey differs from many other similar islands in the region, which also originated from volcanic eruptions. The new land turned out to be more resistant, and it had already started its own life. Scientists have had a great fortune to observe how birds and plants colonize a new piece of land. The first more developed forms of flora - vascular plants (an extensive group of plants whose organs are equipped with vascular-fibrous bundles) - appeared on the shores of the new island in the spring of 1965. Over the next 20 years, 20 plant species were sighted here, but only half of them survived on the harsh soil of the volcanic land. However, as soon as birds began to fly to Surtsey, and whole nesting grounds appeared here, the situation began to change. The presence of feathered inhabitants on the new land entailed fertilization (fertilization,saturation with nutrients) of the soil, and Surtsey became more suitable for plant survival. By 2008, there were already 69 species of flora. Among them, mosses and lichens are most widespread, but new species still continue to appear, arriving here by water, with the wind and with the help of birds. Researchers register about 2-5 new plant species per year.
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Surtsey is inhabited not only by mosses and lichens, 12 more bird species have also settled here on a permanent basis, including fulmars, representatives of the guillemot family, gulls, Atlantic puffins and some migratory species. Resting seals have been seen on the north coast. Their presence also attracts hungry killer whales here. There were even more insects on Surtsee - almost several hundred. All kinds of spiders and beetles prevail among them. Snails and other slugs also love this place.
So that new life on the island arises as naturally as possible and does not suffer from interference from people, the authorities limited access to Surtsey, allowing only a very limited number of scientists to step on this land. One day a group of teenagers tried to jokingly grow potatoes here, but the plant was uprooted by researchers as soon as the prank was discovered. On another occasion, biologists encountered a foreign plant when a tomato sprout appeared on the island due to non-compliance with sanitary rules in a temporary research camp. Even going to the toilet not according to the rules, a scientist risks violating the purity of observations.
Since 1965, Surtsey has been recognized as a nature reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo: Erling Ólafsson
Photo: NASA
Photo: volcanocafe.wordpress.com
Stone cobblestones on Surtsey Island. Photo: Borgþór Magnússon