New islands appear after Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano erupts

Two new islands have appeared in the waters surrounding Mount Anak Krakatau following a significant eruption last month, according to Rita Susilawati of Indonesia's volcano monitoring agency. The islands were observed in satellite images of the water-filled caldera where Anak Krakatau is situated. Based on an assessment of Sentinel satellite imagery, the formations resemble small islands located around Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands.

One island is approximately 760 meters northwest of the volcano, while the other is about 495 meters southwest. Rita cautioned against referring to the new islands as "children" of Mount Anak Krakatau, which was formed by an underwater eruption in the caldera following the massive 1883 explosion of the original Krakatau volcano.

Further research is required to determine how the new islands are emerging, whether they are formed from the caldera's base or volcanic material deposits. Similar to Anak Krakatau's case, several landmasses briefly emerged around 1927 and disappeared due to erosion before a permanent island formed in 1930. The two newly formed islands may also be eroded away over time.

Mount Anak Krakatau erupted continuously for 25 hours in September, causing extensive volcanic ash deposits that led to the closure of multiple airports. Over 300,000 passengers were stranded, and Rita noted that Anak Krakatau is currently at Alert Level 2, the second-lowest of four danger categories. The public is advised not to approach within three kilometers (1.86 miles) of the eruption center.