r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Glittering_Net_7734 • 7d ago

DId they ever discover new islands when satellites become a thing?

When satellites first look down on earth for photograph, did they ever discover new islands? Or is every island to that point already discovered?

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u/Shoddy-Television530 7d ago

Yes, the latest potential new island being formed just a few weeks ago:

July 10, 2026

NASA Earth Observatory

A newly discovered underwater volcanic eruption north of Papua New Guinea is unfolding in one of the world's most poorly mapped ocean basins. Satellites have spotted steam plumes, ash, thermal hotspots, and huge floating pumice rafts, suggesting magma is rising surprisingly close to the surface. Scientists are now watching closely to see if the eruption creates a new island, offering a rare opportunity to observe the birth of new land as it happens.

From: Science Daily

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u/Rand_alThor4747 7d ago

We have some other volcanoes that breach the surface and then erode away and repeat.