Two new islands have appeared in the waters around Mount Anak Krakatau following a significant volcanic eruption last month, Indonesian authorities reported. The islands were identified through satellite imagery captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel fleet, according to Rita Susilawati, head of Indonesia’s volcano monitoring agency, the PVMBG Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.

The new formations are located within the Sunda Strait, which separates the islands of Java and Sumatra. One island lies approximately 760 meters northwest of Anak Krakatau, while the other is situated around 495 meters southwest of the volcano. Susilawati cautioned that it remains premature to categorize these islands as “children” of Anak Krakatau, which itself originated from underwater volcanic activity within the caldera formed after the catastrophic 1883 eruption of the original Krakatau volcano.

Further investigation is required to determine whether the islands are emerging from the caldera floor through volcanic buildup similar to Anak Krakatau’s formation process or if they are composed of accumulated volcanic deposits. Historical records indicate that several temporary landmasses appeared near Anak Krakatau starting in 1927 but were eroded away before a lasting island emerged in 1930. The new islands could potentially undergo a similar cycle of erosion over time.

Anak Krakatau erupted continuously for 25 hours in September, producing widespread ash clouds that disrupted air travel and led to the temporary closure of several airports in the region. The eruption stranded more than 300,000 passengers. The volcano currently holds an alert status of Level 2, indicating moderate activity under the four-tier hazard classification system used by Indonesian authorities.