Two Dozen World War II Ghost Ships Rose From The Depths Of The Pacific Following The Eruption Of An Underwater Volcano Near Tokyo
In 2021, seismic activity from an underwater volcano near Tokyo, Japan, caused two dozen “ghost ships” to rise from the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
The 24 ships washed up on the western side of the island of Iwo Jima, which is located roughly 760 miles south of Tokyo. The underwater volcano, Fukutoku-Okanoba, pushed them up, along with the seabed.
During the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, U.S. forces sank the ships. It was one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, lasting for 36 days.
At that time, about 70,000 U.S. Marines fought against 20,000 Japanese soldiers hiding in bunkers on the island.
By the end of the furious battle, both sides suffered a devastating loss of life. A total of 20,000 marines were wounded, and 7,000 were killed.
Almost all the Japanese soldiers were killed in action. Only 216 survived because they were captured alive.
Per the U.S. National Archives, the shipwrecks are the remains of transport vessels captured by the U.S. Navy.
Since Iwo Jima had no port, the ships were sunk parallel to the shoreline, a strategy that helped shield weapons and troops from the ocean’s waves as they were unloaded onto the island.
The seismic activity produced by Fukutoku-Okanoba has led to the emergence of a small, crescent-shaped island in the sea. It was formed from volcanic ash and pumice.
fifthplanet – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Due to erosion, it is expected to disappear soon, according to Setsuya Nakada, the director of the Japanese government’s Center for Integrated Volcano Research.
Iwo Jima translates to “Sulfur Island.” It is part of the Bonin Islands, which is made up of around 30 subtropical islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The island chain was created by the shifting of the Pacific tectonic plate beneath the Philippine Sea Plate.
Therefore, it is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. For instance, a volcanic island in the chain, Nishinoshima, has been unleashing lava and gas since 2013.
Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima is considered the dormant vent to a still-active volcano. That means it is not currently erupting, but the seismic activity could cause it to potentially erupt again. It is thought to be among the top 10 most dangerous volcanoes in the world.
“The discolored sea area has spread to surrounding areas, which indicates that the volcanic activity has not diminished yet,” said Nakada. “There is a possibility of a big eruption on Iwo Jima.”
The ghost ships will remain on the island’s seabed for a while since Iwo Jima is technically uninhabited and rarely receives visitors.
This is partly because of the large number of unexploded bombs and grenades left behind on the island from the war.
So, it is unlikely that Japanese officials will get around to removing them or cutting them up for scrap material.
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