NASA announced today (January 17, 2012) that an underwater eruption of a volcano in the Red Sea appears to have stopped, leaving behind a newborn island.
The new island is part of the Zubair Islands in the Red Sea,a group of small islands formed from an underwater shield volcano. The new island is located about 60 kilometers (40 miles) off the coast of Yemen.
The island began forming in December 2011. It is essentially lava that has cooled after breaking through the surface of the Red Sea.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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