What would you do if you looked across the sea and saw an island that had not been there the day before? It sounds like the beginning of an adventure story. However, something very similar happened near Iceland in November 1963. The event gave scientists a rare chance to watch a new island develop from its very beginning. Early on 14 November, the crew of a fishing boat saw a large cloud of dark smoke rising from the Atlantic Ocean. At first, they believed that another ship might be on fire. As they moved closer, they discovered something far more unusual. The smoke was actually ash and steam from a powerful volcanic eruption under the sea. The eruption had probably started below the surface before anyone could see it. Hot volcanic material was rising from the bottom of the ocean.…