A new "baby" island has been spotted in the middle of the ocean hours after an underwater volcano erupted.
The Home Reef volcano – found in the Central Tonga Islands – erupted this month and within hours, the Earth's newest land mass had formed.
Lava from the volcano was cooled by the ocean water, forming the island, which grew in size over several days as the lava continued to flow.
On September 14, scientists at Tonga Geological Services announced the island covered around 4000sq m and its elevation was 10m above sea level. But by Tuesday last week, September 20, it had grown to 24,000sq m.
The eruption, which began on September 10, carried on until at least last Friday, September 23, when Tonga Geological Services confirmed on Facebook that it "poses low risks to the Aviation Community and the residents of [nearby island groups] Vava'u and Ha'apai".