This Island Literally Rose Out of the Sea in Front of Everyone's Eyes in the 1960s

In 1963, an underwater volcanic eruption began off the coast of Iceland, and within a few years it had pushed a brand-new island — Surtsey, named after a Norse fire giant — above the surface of the ocean.

The island's birth was observed almost from the very start, giving scientists a rare chance to study from scratch how new volcanic land cools, forms, and gets colonized by the first living organisms.

Since its formation, Surtsey has been under strict scientific protection — almost only researchers are allowed on the island, tracking how, without human interference, plants, insects, and birds gradually settle a completely new, barren stretch of land.

Thanks to decades of observation, Surtsey has become one of the best-documented examples in the world of what ecological succession actually looks like in practice — the step-by-step process of life colonizing empty ground.