The newly-formed island in Japan is fondly called as the "Snoopy Island" because it looks so much like your favorite dog in the "Charlie Brown" comic strips.
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| The Niijima Island (left) alongside a sketch of Charlie Brown's friend, Snoopy. |
The island which resembles Charlie Brown’s best friend is located off the coast of Japan, is officially named Niijima, but has been known for some time as “Snoopy” because the shape is quite similar to the dog from the Peanuts cartoon strip. It is part of the Bonin Islands and was created by two active volcanoes. It is still growing, so whether it will continue to resemble Charlie Brown’s dog is debatable.
The island was formed in November by underwater volcanoes. In the last month, the island has tripled in size, winning the Best Island Award by the Global Post. The paper chose Niijima because it was born in 2013 and continues to exist, despite skeptic’s claims that the island would not last. Volcanic islands are often consumed by the sea not long after they are formed. Volcanoes formed in the area in the 1970s and 1980s have over time become submerged, some completely, by the ocean. New islands are often created from the volcanoes in the area, which is termed the Ring of Fire and is extremely active.
The shape of the island is best seen from an aerial view, where you can even spot Snoopy’s red “collar.” Scientists suspect that the red is caused by reddish-tinted seawater, a result of molten magma. For those hoping to get a closer look, however, the island is currently off-limits, because the Japanese government deems it too dangerous. The two volcanoes that created the island are extremely active and they do not want to risk lives. Snoopy Island continues to expand as a result, and is approximately one-third of a mile across. Last week it merged with Nishinoshima Island, so it is technically no longer its own independent island. Every 30 seconds the volcanoes send smoke the height of a football field into the air, indicating that the island’s expansion may be far from over as they continue to erupt.
NASA’s Earth Observatory Program spotted the island in aerial images and said that it could grow large enough to remain around for several years, The Independent reports. On Christmas Eve images from NASA suggested that there was only a narrow strip of water between the two islands and that they might merge soon. The island could potentially erode after eruptions stop, leading to a loss of its Snoopy shape, or it could potentially remain famous for years to come; only time will tell.--Source: Science Recorder