Ferdinandea

Ferdinandea (Sicilian: Ìsula Firdinandèa) is a submerged volcanic island which forms part of the underwater volcano Empedocles, 30 km (19 mi) south of Sicily, and which is one of a number of submarine volcanoes known as the Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia. Currently a seamount, eruptions have raised it above sea level several times before erosion has caused it to submerge again. When it last rose above sea level after erupting in 1831, a four-way dispute over its sovereignty began, which was still unresolved when it disappeared beneath the waves again in early 1832. During its brief life, the French geologist Constant Prévost was on hand, accompanied by an artist, to witness it in July 1831; he named it Île Julia, for its July appearance, and reported in the Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France.^[6] Some observers at the time wondered if a chain of mountains would spring up, linking Sicily to Tunisia and thus upsetting the geopolitics of the region.^[2] More recently, it has showed signs of volcanic activity in 2000 and 2002, forecasting a possible appearance; however, as of 2006 it remains 6 m (20 ft) under sea level.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinandea