Surtsey

[ surt-see; Icelandic soort-sey ]

noun

1. an island south of and belonging to Iceland: formed by an undersea volcano 1963. About one mile (1.5 kilometers) in diameter; about 500 feet (150 meters) high.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Surtsey¹

First recorded in 1960–65; from Icelandic; literally, “Surt's Island,” equivalent to Surt-, a proper name + -s, genitive singular noun ending + ey “island”; Surt ( def ), island ( def )

Example Sentences

Surtsey was formed by a volcanic explosion in 1963, making the island younger than most of the scientists studying it.

From Scientific American

This becomes evident at the start of the book, when he visits the island of Surtsey off the coast of Iceland.

From Scientific American

On the island of Surtsey, researchers are forced to perch atop lava boulders to deposit theirs straight into the crashing ocean.

From Scientific American

This includes Surtseyan eruptions, named after Surtsey, a volcano off the Icelandic coast that explosively grew above the waves in the 1960s until it formed a new island.

From New York Times

If the new Lateiki does stick around, it may end up like Japan’s Nishinoshima or Iceland’s Surtsey: other pop-up volcanic islands that, after the embers had cooled, became citadels of marine, microbial and avian life.

From New York Times