Veriatus
November 25th, 2002, 04:28 PM
The Return of Cthulhu?
Hidden island off Sicily may reappear
Monday, November 25, 2002 Posted: 12:20 PM EST (1720 GMT)
ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- 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 Monday.
"We've seen Etna erupting, seismic activity to the north and east of Sicily and gas activity around the Aeolian Islands," Enzo Boschi, head of Italy's Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, said.
"The island could come back to the surface, but we'll have to wait and see ... It could be a few weeks or months."
Diplomatic spat could resurface
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.
The volcano's peak now sits just 26 feet under water about 19 miles south of Sicily, near Tunisia.
"We are monitoring things very closely," Boschi said. "The process could begin at any time ... It would be a very beautiful and fascinating event."
Over the centuries, the island has emerged four times, with underwater volcanic eruptions first recorded during the first Punic War of 264-241 BC.
The last emergence on July 2, 1831, caused months of international wrangling with four nations making territorial claims including Britain, Spain and the Bourbon court of Sicily.
Call it what you will
The rock, which rose some 213 feet above the surface and had a circumference of about three miles, emerged for six months, giving the British time to claim it as Graham Island, while Sicily's King Ferdinand II called it Ferdinandea.
Scientists refer to it as Graham Bank, but Italians still call it Ferdinandea.
This time, Sicilian divers have gone down and planted a flag on the rock in the hope of claiming it as Italian the moment it rises above the surface, Boschi said.
While it may not spark the same diplomatic spat as 171 years ago if it emerges, there could well be a new claimant.
"I'm sure the European Union will want it as a member, won't they?" Boschi said.
Hidden island off Sicily may reappear
Monday, November 25, 2002 Posted: 12:20 PM EST (1720 GMT)
ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- 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 Monday.
"We've seen Etna erupting, seismic activity to the north and east of Sicily and gas activity around the Aeolian Islands," Enzo Boschi, head of Italy's Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, said.
"The island could come back to the surface, but we'll have to wait and see ... It could be a few weeks or months."
Diplomatic spat could resurface
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.
The volcano's peak now sits just 26 feet under water about 19 miles south of Sicily, near Tunisia.
"We are monitoring things very closely," Boschi said. "The process could begin at any time ... It would be a very beautiful and fascinating event."
Over the centuries, the island has emerged four times, with underwater volcanic eruptions first recorded during the first Punic War of 264-241 BC.
The last emergence on July 2, 1831, caused months of international wrangling with four nations making territorial claims including Britain, Spain and the Bourbon court of Sicily.
Call it what you will
The rock, which rose some 213 feet above the surface and had a circumference of about three miles, emerged for six months, giving the British time to claim it as Graham Island, while Sicily's King Ferdinand II called it Ferdinandea.
Scientists refer to it as Graham Bank, but Italians still call it Ferdinandea.
This time, Sicilian divers have gone down and planted a flag on the rock in the hope of claiming it as Italian the moment it rises above the surface, Boschi said.
While it may not spark the same diplomatic spat as 171 years ago if it emerges, there could well be a new claimant.
"I'm sure the European Union will want it as a member, won't they?" Boschi said.