A tiny island in the Hawaiian East has been completely wiped off from the map after the area was ravaged by the strong hurricane Walaka a few weeks back. Even though there was no human inhabitation in this lost island, it actually served as a remote oasis for various creatures including some endangered species.
Recently, researchers analyzed new satellite imagery of the area, and they were literally shocked to see nothing left of the island. As per experts, the island was formed at least a thousand years ago, and since then, it was home to endangered seals and sea turtles. Now, the island is completely claimed by the sea, and the animals living there would need to find some other place to go.
In a recent talk with the Guardian, Chip Fletcher, a professor at the University of Hawaii revealed that islands like these are more fragile than expected, and added that it is unfortunate for scientists who monitor islands like these to study rise in global sea levels caused by climate change triggered by humans.
"We wanted to monitor the island so we are disappointed it has gone, but on the other hand, we have learned these islands are far more at risk than we thought. I thought the island would be around for a decade or two longer, but it's far more fragile than I appreciated. The top, middle and bottom of it has gone," Fletcher told the Guardian.
It should be noted that devastating storms are increasingly happening in the earth over time, and experts believe that it is mainly due to global warming. Rebuilding coastal communities during the time of storms is undoubtedly a tedious task, and the only way to reduce the impacts of these storms is by reducing human interference on the stability of nature. Experts argue that adverse human impact on the environment will one day draw these storms to the inland in and it will cause massive devastation everywhere.
