Islands lost and gained
AN undersea volcanic eruption in the Tongan archipelago has sunk one island but created another three times larger, geologists said yesterday.
The new Lateiki island is estimated to be about 100m wide and 400m long, and is about 120m west of its predecessor, between Kao and Late in the northern Ha’apai group of islands. The upheaval followed an 18-day undersea eruption last month in an area prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. Tonga sits on the Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean.