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费迪南德岛
顶峰深度	约 6米（20英尺）
海底山高	63米（207英尺） (最大值)
翻译	（自Italian）
地理位置
位置	西西里岛和突尼斯之间
坐标系	37°10′N, 12°43′E
国家	義大利
类型	海底火山
最后喷发时间	1831

费迪南德岛 (西西里语: Ìsula Firdinandèa) 是一个由海底火山恩培多克勒火山喷发形成的一座岛屿。位于西西里岛南部约30公里（19海里）。在历史上，火山喷发多次让其现出水面，但由于侵蚀作用再度沉入水中，目前它成为一座海底山。它最后一次现出水面是在1831年，在当时有四个国家争夺这座岛的主权，然而在1832年，主权问题还没解决时，费迪南德岛又沉入海底。在此期间，法国地质学家康斯坦特·普雷沃斯特于1831年7月观测到了这座岛屿并将其命名为“尤利亚岛”。之后他在法国地质学会通报上发表了这一发现。 在当时，许多地质学家担心会有一系列的山脉从海底出现，将西西里岛与突尼斯连接起来，从而对当地的地缘政治造成影响。在2000年与2002年，此处显示出火山活动的迹象，预示此岛很可能再次浮出水面，但在2006年，该岛仍然在海平面以下6米。

早期历史

费迪南德岛位于地中海西西里岛与突尼斯之间的一个火山地带。此处有许多海底火山，并且形成了许多火山岛，如潘泰莱里亚岛。 费迪南德岛的火山活动最早于第一次布匿战争时被发现，之后此岛出现又消失了4~5次。 17世纪后多次观测到此处的火山喷发。

1831 eruption

Ferdinandea's most recent appearance as an island was in July 1831. The first sign of an eruption was a period of high seismic activity spanning from June 28 to July 10 reported by the nearby town of Sciacca. On July 4 an odor of sulfur spread through the town reportedly in such quantities that it blackened silver. On July 13, a column of smoke was clearly seen from St. Domenico. The residents believed it to be a ferry on fire. On the same day, the brig Gustavo passed through the area, confirming a bubbling in the sea that the captain thought was a sea monster. Another ship reported dead fish floating in the water. By July 17, a fully grown islet had formed.

The eruptions of 1831 resulted in the island increasing in size to about 4 km（2.5 mi）. However, it was composed of loose tephra, easily eroded by wave action, and when the eruptive episode ended it rapidly subsided, disappearing beneath the waves in January 1832, before the issue of its sovereignty could be resolved. Fresh eruptions in 1863 caused the island to reappear briefly before again sinking below sea level. At its maximum (in July and August 1831), it was 4,800米（15,700英尺） in circumference and 63米（207英尺） in height. It sported two small lakes, the larger of which was 20米（66英尺） in circumference and 2米（6英尺7英寸） in depth.

Dispute

Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, after whom the island was named, circa 1850.

Ferdinandea was subject to a four-way dispute over its sovereignty, originally claimed for the United Kingdom and given the name Graham Island. The King of the Two Sicilies, Ferdinand II, after whom the island was named Ferdinandea, sent ships to the nascent island to claim it for the Bourbon crown. The French Navy also made a landing, and called the island Julia. Spain also declared its territorial ambitions. Each wanted the island for its useful position in the Mediterranean trade route (to England and France) and its close position to Spain and Italy.

Initial conflict

In August 1831 the volcano had risen to above sea level, although still only a couple of rocks, but the British Navy thought it was very suitable as a base to control the traffic in the Mediterranean, as it was closer to the European continent than the island of Malta. The small volcanic point was an important strategic point in the Mediterranean to the world's largest sea force of the time, being closer to Spain and Italy than Malta, the next closest. The British fleet landed, named it Graham Island, after Sir James Graham, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and planted their flag, the Union Jack.

But the King of Sicily also realized its strategic significance, and dispatched the corvette Etna to claim the new land and dub it Ferdinandea in honor of King Ferdinand II. Last on the scene was Constant Prévost, a co-founder of the French Geological Society, who compared the eruption to a bottle of champagne being uncorked. He named the island Julia, because it was born in July. Diplomatic wrangling broke out.

Extended conflict

For five months conflict raged in newspapers and elsewhere as the different nations fought over a roughly 60米（200英尺） high piece of basalt. Tourists traveled to the island to see its two small lakes. Sailors watched it when passing by, and nobles of the House of Bourbon reportedly planned to set up a holiday resort on its beaches. None of these ideas came to light, however, as the island soon sank back beneath the waters. By December 17, 1831, officials reported no trace of it. As dynamically as the seamount appeared, it disappeared, defusing the conflict with it.

Recent activity

A model of the Flag of Sicily, which was lowered into the water.

A seismograph, placed on the underwater island in 2006, is recovered in 2007.

After 1863 the volcano lay dormant for many decades, its summit just 8米（26英尺） below sea level. Following the 1986 US bombing of Libya, American warplanes mistook the shoal for a Libyan submarine and dropped depth charges on it.

In 2000, renewed seismic activity around Ferdinandea led volcanologists to speculate that a new eruptive episode could be imminent, and the seamount might once again become an island. To forestall a renewal of the sovereignty disputes, Italian divers planted a flag on the top of the volcano in advance of its expected resurfacing. To bolster their case, Sicilians, who call it Ferdinandea, summoned the descendant of the Bourbon King of Naples. In a ceremony filmed by a flotilla of camera crews, Prince Carlo di Bourbon lowered a plaque into the waves and told cheering locals: "It will always be Sicilian." C. Lobbied by fishermen and sailors, Ignazio Cucchiara, the mayor of Sciacca, invited Prince Carlo to attend the ceremony with his wife, Countess Camilla Cruciani. To accommodate television crews the plaque was lowered well before reaching the shoal, which is a danger to shipping. Choppy waters forced divers to postpone the operation a week, until November 13, 2000. The diving crew planted Sicily's flag, which features a Medusa's head surrounded by three naked legs – a sign traditionally interpreted as "keep away."

The marble plaque, weighing 150公斤（330磅）, was inscribed “This piece of land, once Ferdinandea, belonged and shall always belong to the Sicilian people." The Prince told cheering locals: “It will always be Sicilian.” But within six months it had been fractured into 12 pieces, mostly likely by fishing gear but possibly by vandalism. Professor Enzo Boschi, from the Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Rome, told BBC News Online, in November 2002:

We have observed minor seismic activity, gas emissions but this is quite normal.

He put the time of resurfacing at a couple of weeks or months. However, in an interview with Time magazine, Boris Behncke, a German researcher at the University of Catania's department of geological sciences in Sicily, said:

Geologically speaking, it's a possibility, But geology has a very long time scale ... We really should not be too worried.

Despite showing signs in both 2000 and 2002, the seismicity did not lead to volcanic eruptions and as of 2006 Ferdinandea's summit remains about 6米（20英尺） below sea level. Should it reappear, Federico Eichberg, an international relations expert based in Rome, believes it would do so within Italian territorial waters — and in all probability would be formally claimed by Italy. Eichberg does not expect that a renewed international rumpus would arise, noting:

“If it's just a little island, we're not going to have a big fight over it.”

Additionally, the island would not have the same strategic importance today that it had in the summer of 1831. A diplomatic disagreement would be highly improbable, and the island would likely belong to Italy. A spokeswoman for Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, however, kept all options open. The British government “would look at this if and when any island were to emerge,” she said, adding: “We don't want to make waves now.

Significance

Scientific study

A page out of the field journal of French geologist Constant Prévost. Illustrations by a French artist.

French geologist Constant Prévost

Italian geologist Carlo Gemmellaro (Italian wiki article)

The sudden geologic phenomenon was observed and studied by numerous scientists. Among the Germans were Hoffmann, Schultz, and Philippi. Among the English were Edward Davy and Warington Wilkinson Smyth. Among the French was Constant Prévost. Among the Italians there was Scinà Domenico (1765-1837) who published his observations in the "Effeméridi Sicilians" (1832- Vol. 2), and Carlo Gemmellaro (1787–1866), teacher of geology and mineralogy at Catania University, who published "Actions of the Gioenia Academy of Catania" (1831- Vol.8).

In 2006, further study revealed Ferdinandea to be just one part of the larger volcanic cone Empedocles.

Marine significance

Ferdinandea is still referenced on marine charts, as its top is only 6 metres short of breaking the surface, much higher than the draft of most seafaring vessels. It is also a small shoal on which near-surface maritime creatures dwell.

Coinage

In Sicily in 2000 there was produced an unofficial minting of a penny, featuring the island of Ferdinandea on one side and, unusually, a bust of Elizabeth II on the other. (Italy, including Sicily, was using the italian lira by this time and the coin did not circulate.) The designer of the coin is David Mannucci. The idea to make this coin occurred to Mannucci after he "found out the existence of the ghost island" from a newspaper article. Besides the copper piece, varieties exist in silver, copper "with protective enamel", and in silver "with protective enamel". While this Italian-made coin fittingly bears the Italian name for the island, the conflicted piece also features a bust of “Elizabeth II D.G.R.” and bears a British denomination.

In popular culture

During its emergence it was visited by Sir Walter Scott, and it provided inspiration for James Fenimore Cooper's The Crater, or Vulcan's Peak, Alexandre Dumas, père's The Speronara and Jules Verne's Captain Antifer and The Survivors of the Chancellor. It also provided the inspiration for the isle of Leshp in Terry Pratchett's Jingo.

See also

• List of volcanoes in Italy
• Volcanism in Italy
• Seamount
• Submarine volcanoes
• Empedocles