Zuqar Island

Zuqar Island Latest News

Yemen’s Houthi rebels recently claimed they are attempting to rescue a boat carrying 14 Indian nationals near Zuqar Island in the Red Sea, alleging that it was targeted by Saudi Arabia.

About Zuqar Island

• It is a Yemeni island in the southern Red Sea, forming part of the Hanish Islands archipelago. 
• It is approximately 130 sq.km.  
• It lies between the coasts of mainland Yemen and Eritrea, near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.  
• Despite its proximity to the African continent, the island is considered a part of Asia because it sits on the Asian continental shelf.  
• It has strategic importance because of its location along one of the world’s key maritime routes. 
• Eritrea captured the island in 1995 after battling Yemeni forces. An international court in 1998 placed the island formally into Yemen’s custody. 
• The island consists of a shield volcano overlain by basaltic pyroclastic cones and spatter cones, which produce youthful-looking pahoehoe lava flows. 
• Several small coastal cones and islets surrounding Zuqar Island were formed by phreatic eruptions. 

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What are Pahoehoe Lava Flows?

• Pahoehoe is a type of basaltic lava characterized by a smooth, often shiny, and billowy surface. 
• This highly fluid lava spreads in thin sheets and forms ropy folds as it continues to flow beneath a hardening crust. 
• The surface of pahoehoe lava flows can appear gently undulating or broadly hummocky, with liquid lava beneath the surface wrinkling it into tapestry-like folds that resemble twisted rope. 
• These flows are typically fed internally by streams of liquid lava. 

News: TOI