Buzz
A mysterious island has surfaced off the coast of Pakistan following last week's 7.8 magnitude Richter scale earthquake assault on the country, now becoming a captivating tourist attraction for both travelers and locals alike.
Satellite images from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) depict the world's newest island with a circular shape, exhibiting numerous cracks and a relatively flat terrain resembling a 'mud pie'. Local residents have named the island Zalzala Koh.
Based on NASA satellite imagery, experts estimate the island stretches from 75 to 90 meters in length and rises about 15 to 20 meters above sea level.
According to marine geologist Asif Inam of the National Institute of Oceanography in Pakistan, Zalzala Koh island is located in the sea approximately 233 kilometers southeast of Dalbandin province, the hardest-hit area in Pakistan's recent earthquake, with surrounding water depths of only about 15 to 20 meters.
Bill Barnhart, a specialist at the United States Geological Survey specializing in earthquakes in Pakistan and Iran, further explains that the island is actually a mixture of mud, sand, and solid rock, rising from the seabed. The island formation mechanism could be as follows: methane gas, carbon dioxide gas, and liquid substances buried under the seabed for extended periods, have erupted when under high pressure or intense shocks such as earthquakes, causing mud and sand to be pushed up to the water's surface.
Scientists predict that Zalzala Koh island will exist for about 1 year at sea before sinking.
However, at present, this island has become an attractive tourist destination for travelers and local residents. They have used boats to visit this place despite the fact that cracks on the island emit toxic and flammable gases. The island surface is also covered with the carcasses of marine creatures, such as dead fish.
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Source: Travel Guide Mytour - According to Vietnamnet.
MytourOctober 3, 2013
