Which volcanic island off Iceland was formed in 1963?

The volcanic island off Iceland formed in 1963 was Surtsey. It emerged from an underwater eruption in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, south of Iceland, when volcanic activity broke through the ocean surface on 14 November 1963.

The eruption began about 130 metres below sea level. At first, seawater interacting with hot magma produced explosive phreatomagmatic eruptions, throwing ash and volcanic rock into the air. As the island grew, lava flows formed a harder cap that helped protect the loose volcanic material from Atlantic waves. Activity continued until 5 June 1967, when Surtsey reached its maximum area of about 2.7 square kilometres.

Surtsey was named after Surtr, a fire giant from Norse mythology, with the Icelandic ending “-ey,” meaning island. Scientists treated it as a rare natural laboratory: because people were largely excluded, researchers could observe how plants, birds, insects, and other organisms colonized brand-new land. Surtsey is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remains protected. Vestmannaeyjar is the name of the island group, while Heimaey is its inhabited main island; neither is the answer to this question.