Zalzala Koh

Zalzala Koh, also known as Zalzala Jazeera, was a small island that appeared off the coast of Gwadar in Pakistan on September 24, 2013. It showed up just hours after a powerful earthquake struck the same area. The island was named "Earthquake Mountain" in Urdu, reflecting how it formed because of the earthquake.

Scientists expected that the new island wouldn't stay for long. True to their predictions, the island began to sink back into the sea. Satellite images showed that just one month after it appeared, the island had already sunk about 3 meters, or 10 feet, below the water's surface. By the end of 2016, the island had completely disappeared.

Formation

Zalzala Koh may have been a mud volcano in the Arabian Sea near the city of Gwadar in Balochistan, Pakistan. It appeared after a big earthquake on September 24, 2013. Scientists believe that gas from the sea floor caused the island to rise above the water.

Location

The island could be seen from the coast of Pakistan and was about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the shore near the Hingol area. It stood between 15 to 20 metres (50 to 65 ft) tall, stretched 175.7 metres (576 ft) long, and was 160.9 metres (528 ft) wide, covering an area of 22.726 m² (244.62 sq ft), according to satellite images. However, some people disagreed about these measurements.

Ecology

Even though the island itself had no plants or animals on it, the waters nearby became full of fish and other sea life. This included a special type of coral called Acabaria delicata. The extra fish helped the people living nearby because they could catch more fish to eat.