Residents on the east coast of Japan 's Hokkaido Island had an unexpected change of scenery this morning after 1,000ft of seabed was forced to the surface overnight . The extra stretch of coastline on Shiretoko Peninsula near the town of Rausu has risen as high as 50ft from the sea surface in some places , exposing what used to be the ocean floor . Geologists believe the emergence is a result of a landslide nearby , when melting ice and snow caused a section of land to drop , pivoting the underwater area into the air . Scroll down for video . Surprise ! A man stands on a clump of land that emerged overnight along the coastline of Shiretoko Peninsula near Rausu , on Hokkaido Island , Japan . 'An aerial survey indicates that the land swell happened as a result of a landslide ' , local researcher Yoshinori Yajima told the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper after he flew over the area Monday . The mass , which has risen some 30 to 50ft above sea level , measures roughly 1,000- 1,640ft long , and 100ft wide , a town official said . The new stretch of land came as a complete surprise to the locals , as there was no indication of the land movement overnight . 'The local residents said they did n't hear any sounds and there were no tremors ( when the land appeared ) , ' said Katsuhiro Tanaka , the president of the Rausu Fisheries Cooperative Association , who viewed the expanded coastline the day it was discovered . The mass , which has risen some 50ft above sea level , measures roughly 1,000- 1,640ft long , and 100ft wide . No clue : Local residents on Hokkaido island say they felt no tremors overnight , or heard any sounds to indicate movement , and that the landmass just appeared . New view : Local residents from Rausu , Hokkaido , take a look at the newly emerged coastline . Authorities have not been able to determine exactly when the landslide hit the snow-covered coastline , but they do not expect it to expand further , said an official at the central government 's Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau . 'Our understanding is that this is different from earthquakes , ' he told AFP . It is not believed to be related to the 7.8magnitude earthquake that struck the Kathmandu Valley on Saturday , which so far has claimed more than 4,000 lives . Under the sea : Marine organisms such as seaweed and sea urchins are still attached to the land mass .
A 1,000ft stretch of land rose up above sea level on Japanese island . The 100ft wide mass on Hokkaido is now more than 4,000ft above sea level . It is believed to have been forced to the surface by a landslide nearby .