New island created by underwater volcano in Japan

The new island has recently popped up in Japanese waters.

An underwater volcano has erupted in Japan, creating a new tiny island.

The new island is around one kilometre in diameter, and is located near to the volcanic island Iwo Jima.

It was spotted by the Japan Coast Guard after a nearby underwater volcano started erupting on Friday.

The island formed from lava that erupted from the volcano as it cooled and rose to the sea surface.

The Meteorological Agency has issued a warning about smoke and ash in nearby waters as the eruption continues.

Has this ever happened before?

It's not the first time a new island has been formed because of a volcano.

New islands have popped up in the area in 1904, 1914 and 1986, but all of them eventually disappeared due to coastal erosion.

In 2013, after months of volcanic activity a new island popped up and joined together with an existing island, called Nishinoshima, to create an island that looked a bit like the cartoon dog Snoopy.