Lava Land

Each year, oceanic volcanoes create an estimated one to two square kilometers of new land globally, though this figure can vary widely depending on volcanic activity.

Most new land forms as submarine lava flows accumulate around mid-ocean ridges and volcanic island chains, slowly building up the seafloor or occasionally breaking the surface to form new islands.

Rare events, like the 2013–2014 eruption near Nishinoshima in Japan or the emergence of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in 2015, can rapidly add several square kilometers in a short period, but on average, most new volcanic land remains underwater.