Submerged Volcanic Island May Reappear

A volcanic island submerged off the coast of Sicily for the last 170 years could reappear in the coming weeks if furious seismic rumblings continue, Italy’s chief seismologist said.

“We’ve seen [the Sicilian volcano Mt.] Etna erupting, seismic activity to the north and east of Sicily, and gas activity around the Aeolian Islands,” said Enzo Boschi, head of Italy’s Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. Formed by the tip of a submerged volcano, the island last popped up in 1831, sparking a diplomatic spat among several nations, before it sank beneath the Mediterranean waves six months later.