Surtsey Island

Kathy Sullivan Explores

Have you ever been curious about how islands are formed?

Whenever we look at typical maps like the ones on Google or in atlases, we assume that islands are simply land masses separated by some body of water. But, when you consider their geological underpinnings, you find that not all islands are the same. Islands like Madagascar and England, for example, are part of the continents they’re adjacent to. Some islands, like Surtsey Island, located south of Iceland, are formed by something awe-inspiring: volcanic eruption.

In this episode, you’ll learn about Surtsey Island and why it fascinates biologists worldwide. I differentiate oceanic islands from continental islands and explore why Surtsey Island is so unique. I outline the process of oceanic island formation. I share my childhood experience watching the November 1963 volcanic eruption that formed Surtsey Island in the news. You’ll also hear about my visit to Surtsey and how the island has changed since the 1963 eruption.

“Surtsey Island was a perfect, unique, and extraordinary experiment—an opportunity to watch, for the first time in the scientific era, a brand new oceanic island being formed right before our very eyes.” - Kathy Sullivan

This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:

• The wonders of the Dogger Bank and the characteristics of continental islands
• How oceanic islands begin as volcanoes on the seafloor
• The formation of the Hawaii island chain in the Pacific
• What makes Surtsey unique as an oceanic island
• How the tilt meter assists in predicting volcanic eruptions
• The Lōʻihi seamount (Kamaʻehuakanaloa)
• What happens when magma meets seawater
• A fisherman out at sea and the Surtsey volcanic eruption of November 1963
• A race between ash, lava, and erosion
• Why the government of Iceland designated Surtsey Island as a scientific preserve
• My venture to Surtsey Island
• How Surtsey Island has changed since November 1963

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Surtsey was the first time in the modern scientific era that one of these seafloor volcanoes built up enough to break the ocean surface, become a real island, and give scientists the chance to watch this process of biological succession.” - Kathy Sullivan
• “We have a chance to watch the North Atlantic version of what happened in Hawaii—as the all-brown volcanoes became full of life—but only if people do not go there and distort the natural process.” - Kathy Sullivan

Spaceship Not Required

I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.

In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.

Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.

Visit my website at kathysullivanexplores.com to sign up for seven astronaut tips to improve your life on earth and be the first to discover future episodes and learn about more exciting adventures!

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