Generally, an island is a land area surrounded by seawater, made of hard stones, and its seabed base is relatively deep. However, there is also a special kind of stone that does not sink even if thrown into the sea, because it has a large foam-like structure inside and is much denser than seawater. Such stones are called "pumice stones".
Pumice has been found in the Pacific before, but now we're talking about a staggering concentration of pumice stone. The area of this pumice stone is equivalent to 20,000 football fields, with a total area of more than 100 million square meters, and it looks like a huge "island" from a distance. Scientists are excited, but the U.S. Navy is having a headache.
Previously, sailors in the Pacific discovered this huge "pumice island", which is composed of many pumice stones, which caused great trouble to nearby ships. The U.S. Navy has always advocated "freedom of navigation" and is required to frequently traverse the Pacific for missions. However, the propellers of these vessels may hit pumice rocks, causing the vessel to malfunction or even stall. As a result, this huge pumice "island" became a nightmare for the US Navy.
For scientists, however, the place contains valuable ecological treasures. After research, they found that there is already life inhabiting the area, and these pumice stones also have a great benefit in improving the marine ecosystem.
There are 322 active volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean, where previous eruptions near Tonga were made, and these foamy pumice were formed by volcanic magma. The magma cooled rapidly after the eruption, forming this light pumice stone. These pumice gradually converge with wind and rain and climatic erosion, forming huge floating objects.
This giant pumice "island" in the Pacific Ocean covers a huge area. Even if an aircraft carrier is at sea, it will seem insignificant. However, compared to normal islands, this pumice "island" has its own unique features. Due to its light weight and unstable structure, it is difficult to bear large weights and can only be inhabited by some birds and animals. In addition, this "island" gradually has plant growth, from the initial barren bald to the "paradise" in the Pacific Ocean, promoting the photosynthesis of plants and algae in the sea and improving the surrounding environment.
So, in the long run, the benefits of the existence of this giant pumice island far outweigh the disadvantages. Scientists say that if conditions permit, it may be developed into a tourist attraction in the future.