There are many different ways and paths to create islands! Yet they are all so unique! One way I will be talking about briefly is the Volcanic Process!

i : The Volcanic Process

The Volcanic Process revolves around the actual volcanic eruption! According to the National Geographic Society, it states that “As volcanoes erupt, they build up layers of lava that may eventually break the water’s surface. When the tops of the volcanoes appear above the water, an island is formed.” 

ii : Tectonic Plates / Earthquakes

Another way to make islands is a sequence of tectonic plate-events! Or in other words, an earthquake! Whenever an earthquake happens, there could be a chance for it to be above a hot-spot! Hot-spots are little pockets of magma stored up underground! When an earthquake happens, the hot-spot will crack open and move up, resulting in there being a magma leak, or a newly formed and active volcano! According to NOAA, “As a crustal tectonic plate moves over hot spots, mantle material upwells and erupts on the surface of the plate to form a volcano, seamount or volcanic island.”

iii : Glacial Retreat

There’s also glacial retreat. This one sounds kind of obvious, but is majorly important because we are causing it right now. Glacial retreat happens when ice melts. You know the news from Antarctica? Well that is a form of glacial retreat. The ice, as it melts because of climate change, a thing we are causing, crumbles and sometimes creates its own little islands!