Surtsey, Iceland

Coordinates: 63 4 N 20 3 W
Approximate elevation: 554 feet (169m)
Years and sometimes decades can pass before a map becomes visibly outdated to an untrained eye. But sometimes a rather dramatic change can be seen in a matter of months. Surtsey, a tiny Icelandic island named after a fire-possessing giant, qualifies handily as an example of the latter. Growing from a fissure in the ocean floor at a depth of about 400 feet, the island began to take shape above the waterline roughly two weeks after submarine explosions began on Nov. 8, 1963. Surtsey takes its name from Sutur, or Surt, a powerful giant in Norse mythology who hastens the destruction of the universe by setting fire to the World Tree. The island, which serves as a nature reserve and resting ground for migrating birds and seals in the North Atlantic, now appears on nautical maps and can be seen from a considerable distance.

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