There is an island on which a scientific experiment has been conducted since its inception. Access of people there is prohibited. All scientists who come there for research are searched for forbidden things.
Where is it and what is happening there?
The birth of a new island from the depths of the ocean is a planetary event. Continents were formed in the same way many millions of years ago, long before the appearance of life on them. And the island, which has risen above the surface of the ocean as a result of the eruption of an underwater volcano, today provides a unique opportunity for scientists to study the processes of the emergence and spread of life on earth in a natural laboratory. Such an incredible event took place on November 14, 1963, near the southern tip of Iceland in the Vestmannaeyjar group of volcanic islands. By a happy coincidence, there were witnesses to this.
Process start
In the early morning of that day, the fishing boat Isleifer II was sailing in the Atlantic waters off the southern shores of Iceland in search of shoals of cod. The ocean was calm. Suddenly, the ship was hit by a wave, heeled heavily, and when it regained balance, the sailors saw a column of smoke rising from the water surface. Deciding that some other ship was in distress, the crew rushed to help. But when "Isleifer II" approached the source of the smoke, it became clear that there was no ship there, clouds of steam and fire from the eruption of an underwater volcano were taken for a fire. To avoid danger, the captain hastened to take the opposite course. So the fishermen were witnesses to an extremely rare event - the birth of the island.
Photographers, journalists and scientists from all over the world immediately flocked to this ocean area to see everything with their own eyes. But the eruption continued for several more days, everything around was shrouded in clouds of volcanic ash, its column was visible in Reykjavik at a distance of 120 km.
Only by the end of November the island could be seen, and at the end of January 1964 it already rose 50 meters above sea level and its surface area was 2.5 square kilometers. By a government decision, he was named Surtsey in honor of Surtur - the lord of Muspelheim and the lord of the fire giants. According to Scandinavian mythology, when Ragnarok comes and all the gods fall, Surtur will throw fire to the earth and burn the whole world. A rather gloomy name was chosen for the newborn, which did not like the Icelanders at all. And the people called the island "Presley" in honor of Elvis Presley, because the shape of the island at that time strongly resembled the hairstyle of the king of rock and roll.
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For scientists, this island has become a real gift. At first, everyone feared that it would not last long. If it does not sink back to the ocean floor, erosion will destroy it. Indeed, over 40 years of existence, the surface area of the island has halved. But since the mid-1980s, the rate of erosion has slowed sharply. Experts say that after a few years, it will cease to collapse.
Since the emergence of solid rock above sea level, scientific research has been carried out on Surtsey. For the purity of the experiment, access here is limited. From the very beginning, scientists have established that bacteria and other microorganisms settled on Surtsee already in the first hours of the island's birth. In 1965, plants began to appear, at first, as expected, they were mosses and lichens. In the mid-1980s, there were already more than 20 plant species. Sea mustard was the first to blossom here. In 1998, the first shrub was discovered - the filicolored willow. By 2008, 69 plant species have already been found. From 2 to 5 new species of plants appear on the island every year.
Surtsey lies on the path of migratory birds. Birds fertilize the barren island with their droppings, and by bringing undigested plant grains into it, contribute to the intensive spread of flora on its territory.
But the birds themselves began to inhabit the uninhabited island. The first to appear were petrels and auk, then gulls made nests here, swans, geese, and crows settled here. In the 21st century, puffin nests have already been discovered. Insects also quickly became accustomed to the new environment. Now it is full of worms, spiders, flies, beetles, ticks and other small creatures. The sea waters around are rich in fish and plankton.
Surtsey is still uninhabited. A small hut has been built for the researchers, in which they can spend the night if necessary. Everyone arriving on the island is carefully screened to ensure that no plants or animals are introduced into this ecosystem. The experiment continues.