New island emerges after undersea volcano erupts off coast of Japan

This aerial photo shows steam billowing from the waters off Iwoto Island, Ogasawara town in the Pacific Ocean, southern Tokyo, on October 30 (Kyodo News/AP)

An undersea volcano erupted off the coast of Japan three weeks ago, providing a rare view of the birth of a tiny new island, but experts say it may not last very long.

The unnamed undersea volcano, about half a mile off the southern coast of Iwo Jima, which Japan calls Ioto, started its latest series of eruptions on October 21.