Japanese panel warns Sakurajima volcano may erupt on large scale

japanese-panel-warns-sakurajima-volcano-may-erupt-on-large-scale

Given current data analysis, Sakurajima volcano in southwestern Japan may erupt on a large scale — the Japan Meteorological Agency panel warned on Tuesday, July 1, 2020.

According to the panel on the forecast of volcanic activities at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the frequency of eruptions at Minamidake summit crater in Kagoshima Prefecture has been on the decrease, while the volume of volcanic ashes remains constant– indicating that the upcoming eruption may be bigger than usual.

A level 3 alert remains for the active volcano, advising people to avoid approaching the crater. Local weather observatory also warns of small-scale pyroclastic flow when the volcano explodes.

The panel noted that bloating and lifting of the mountain, as well as crustal movement, have been observed on Sakurajima volcano since September 2019.

However, the panel did not mention when exactly the volcano is going to erupt.

sakurajima-2013-eruption-july-1-2020

Sakurajima 2013 eruption. Image credit: Wikimedia

On May 9, a plume of ash emitted from the volcano's Minamidake summit crater, reaching up to 4 200 m (13 800 feet) into the sky. 

There was no damage reported from the last eruption, but large rocks were flown into the upper part of the mountain and volcanic ashes fell in nearby municipalities. Six flights from and to Kagoshima airport had to be canceled due to ashfall.

Geological summary

The Aira caldera in the northern half of Kagoshima Bay contains the post-caldera Sakurajima volcano, one of Japan's most active. Eruption of the voluminous Ito pyroclastic flow accompanied formation of the 17 x 23 km (10.5 x 14.3 miles) caldera about 22 000 years ago. The smaller Wakamiko caldera was formed during the early Holocene in the NE corner of the Aira caldera, along with several post-caldera cones.

The construction of Sakurajima began about 13 000 years ago on the southern rim of Aira caldera and built an island that was finally joined to the Osumi Peninsula during the major explosive and effusive eruption of 1914. Activity at the Kitadake summit cone ended about 4 850 years ago, after which eruptions took place at Minamidake.

Frequent historical eruptions, recorded since the 8th century, have deposited ash on Kagoshima, one of Kyushu's largest cities, located across Kagoshima Bay only 8 km (5 miles) from the summit. The largest historical eruption took place during 1471-76. (GVP)

Featured image credit: Wikimedia

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4 Comments

  1. ..do you REALLY think, your prediction of volcanic activity is going to make even one iota of a difference in regards to nuclear powerplants, to the Japanese and American governments?

    1. of course not, but once it begins… this will finalize the extinction event for all life on earth.
      it’s like we had the chance before….
      like we have done this, before, possibly multiple times….
      de ja vu
      ….
      …. same exact fuck up -once upon a time many years ago.
      the same shit.
      and nothing was found from our past indicating how or why….

      nothing was left to give us answers and then… what was left, and rediscovered ——that info and knowledge was hidden. covered and manipulated, twisted. …
      nothing left to go by except…. huge square bricks in various patterns throughout the world ….random pyramids built covering the globe…, most all buried and lost….
      the sphinx… there was an uprising like we have now, the face was smashed…
      like what’s happening now with …. with monuments and statues around the world taken down or defaced….
      because…
      all monuments and statues had beenaltered, broken, removed, or destroyed……
      it all….
      seems….
      so…
      very….
      familiar.

  2. WHAT JAMAL SHRAIR WARNED ABOUT IT IS ALREADY TAKING PLACE………………………The Sakurajima volcano is 30 miles away from the Sendai nuclear plant. I have been warning for more than three years that massive earthquakes and large scale eruption of volcanoes will take place in 2020. And the Japanese and American governments should take courageous and urgent action about the huge number of nuclear power plants that are located on active seismic zones. If, you are following my writing you know that I was never wrong about one prediction.

    1. what biggest volcano and earthquake locations do you predict will go off this year

      It would take years to shut down nuclear power plants. Like Indonesia, the entire country is built on a fault. Japan has the most earthquake proof buildings on earth. I’d have to assume their nuclear power plants are more hardened also.

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