March 14, 2015: New island of Tonga

[Undertoad]

The government of Tonga sent out these images of their new land mass. Because they've been so successful with the .to domain, they've been able to add a new island to their realm!

"Buy land, they're not making it any more." is the Mark Twain quote. But they are making it.



See that big round section with the ugly green lake in the middle of it? That wasn't there three months ago. It's a new island. Here's the "before" shot:



NBC News presents a fine photo gallery of the new island, and says of it:

For weeks in January, an underwater volcano sent volcanic ash thousands of feet in the air near the South Pacific island nation of Tonga. The continuous eruptions created a new island that scientists say won't last longer than several months. Tonga native GP Orbassano visited the island on March 6 and captured these stunning landscapes.

Won't last longer than several months. I guess Mr. Twain's point still stands. Meanwhile there is this bit of earth that won't last very long, unless the planet vomits up another load of grey previously molten rock from Davy Jones' gullet.





Ugly green lake is ugly!

[xoxoxoBruce]

It's a real estate scam. Some out of work fishermen dragged a bunch of plastic out of the Pacific Gyre, piling it up long enough take some pictures and print some deeds. Right now Cat 5, sustained 165mph (270kph) wind, with 200mph (325kph) gusts, Pam, is churning up the Pacific.