The world’s newest island, off the coast of Tonga, could be some 30 plus years producing fertile soil to grow crops, according to experts from Geoscience Australia. “Volcanic materials make some of the best soils, but this doesn’t happen quickly,” says Victoria Miller, the Agency’s resident Volcanologist.
The island will need time to stabilize, if it does at all, as it is highly susceptible to ocean weathering, according to experts, locals and academics with expertise in the field.
When asking what might become of the new island it is impossible to predict for certain, as it might not last long enough to find out. One island that can provide insight into the timeline for growing conditions, however, is Surtsey, off the coast of Iceland. “Mosses and lichens appeared not long after the volcanic island formed and the eruption ceased, however it was approximately 30 years after the eruption stopped that the first bush was found on the island,” says Victoria.
“Although the volcanic island of Surtsey is still around, there were sustained eruptions (large volumes over a long time) of resistant material ensuring its continuing existence. It takes a long time for the erupted materials, which are high in nutrient rich minerals, to break down to something that is conducive to plant life.
“More commonly these islands are unstable and susceptible to ocean weathering and are often eroded away in just a few months to years,” she added.
There was much fanfare in the media when the 500m (1640sq foot) long island was formed after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (Hunga Tonga) volcano, which began in December. Only recently has a team of 3 intrepid explorers, led by 63 year old hotelier Gianpiero Orbassano, been able to set foot on the island, which is still ‘hot’ to walk on, according to the reports. "It felt quite safe - the only difficult thing was getting out of the boat on to the island. The surface was hot, you could feel it. And climbing it was hard in the bright sun," Mr Orbassano told the BBC.
So far mosses, lichen and possibly fungi look to be the most likely vegetation to appear on the island. If growing conditions become anything like nearby Tonga, then an abundance of root vegetable crops (sweet potato varieties), tapioca or cassava, and various fruits including bananas, guavas, breadfruit and passionfruit