Volcano raises new island far south of Japan (dial-up warning large picture)

[freshwest]

Japanese Coast Guard via Yahoo News 10 hours ago

A volcanic eruption has raised an island in the seas to the far south of Tokyo, the Japanese coast guard and earthquake experts said. 

Advisories from the coast guard and the Japan Meteorological Agency said the islet is about 200 meters (660 feet) in diameter. It is just off the coast of Nishinoshima, a small, uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain, which is also known as the Bonin Islands. (AP)

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/volcano-raises-new-island-far-south-of-japan-1385036793-slideshow/

There are more pictures at the link above. Not sure if this or any other small islands will advantage the Japanese people or create any political interest. Keep thinking this could be a good thing some time in the near future, as it cools and creates land. In time it may be habitable.

[Art_from_Ark]

1. I doubt that island will ever be inhabitable,

at least in our lifetimes. The island next to it, Nishi-no-shima, was born in 1973 from the same volcanic processes and it is uninhabited. At least 8 other Ogasawara Islands were inhabited at one time, but are now uninhabited. The area is extremely far from the mainland, and is especially vulnerable to typhoons and earthquakes.