Watch a Volcanic Eruption Form A New Island

Our new favorite creation myth involves exploding magma.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohzd7GuIrtI

If only all terrifying natural disasters were so productive. This video, captured by the Japanese coast guard, shows Japan’s Nishinoshima Volcano spewing smoke, ash and debris hundreds of feet into the air, while simultaneously spewing lava that flows to the sides of the small volcanic island, expanding its boundaries. While volcanoes are typically thought of as destructive (the residents of Pompeii are pretty surely of that mind), don’t forget that it’s exactly these apocalyptic-looking eruptions that gave us Hawaii—nothing against the buried city, but anyone who’s been to Waikiki knows that that’s a worthy trade.