Belgium-sized mass of volcanic rocks floating off coast of New Zealand

[Contra Mundum]

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A mass of small volcanic rocks nearly the size of Belgium has been discovered floating off the coast of New Zealand.

The stretch of golf-ball-size pumice rocks was first spotted this week by a New Zealand air force plane about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) northeast of Auckland. The rocks stretch for about 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 square miles).

A navy ship took scientists to the rocks Thursday night. Naval Lt. Tim Oscar says the rocks appeared a brilliant white under a spotlight, like a giant ice shelf.

He says it’s the “weirdest thing” he’s seen in 18 years at sea.

“The rock looked to be sitting two feet above the surface of the waves, and lit up a brilliant white colour in the spotlight. It looked exactly like the edge of an ice shelf,” he said, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Lt. Oscar said he had been briefed by GNS Volcanologist Helen Bostock the previous day when the ship first encountered an area of pumice from an undersea volcano, the Herald reported.

“I knew the pumice was lightweight and posed no danger to the ship. None the less it was quite daunting to be moving toward it at 14 knots. It took about three to four minutes to travel through the raft of pumice and as predicted there was no damage. As we moved through the raft of pumice we used the spotlights to try and find the edge – but it extended as far as we could see,” he said.

Scientists say the rocks likely spewed up in an eruption by an underwater volcano. They don’t believe the eruption is connected to the onshore ash eruption this week of another volcano, Mount Tongariro.

The steam-triggered eruption on New Zealand’s North Island sent boulders flying, covered surrounding areas in ash and disrupted domestic flights.

The Defence Force says the mass of rocks stretches 250 nautical miles by 30 nautical miles.

Pumice is made from lava and water and is very lightweight, so it poses no danger to ships. Pumice has a variety of uses: as an ingredient in concrete, polishes and scrubbing cleaners; to stone wash jeans and exfoliate skin.

[The Lawspeaker]

Gimme that . We , in the Netherlands, could really use that piece of real estate...

[Osprey]

I always thought the Low Countries were nearly the same size as the North Island.

[The Lawspeaker]

I always thought the Low Countries were nearly the same size as the North Island.

With a total amount of some 28 million people...

[Osprey]

With a total amount of some 28 million people...

I meant the size.
Maybe their total size was roughly equal to the North Isle.

At least it looks like it.

[Albion]

With a total amount of some 28 million people...

Time to purchase South Island? England should "persuade" Tasmania, Newfoundland and South Island to rejoin the mother country. We need our mini-Englands back to get rid of the excess population!