Strong explosive eruption at Sakurajima volcano, Japan

ByTeo Blašković
sakurajima volcano eruption july 20 2024 zaiho f

Featured image: Eruption at Sakurajima volcano, Japan on July 20, 2024. Credit: ZAIHO (stillshot)

A strong explosive eruption was registered at Sakurajima volcano, Japan at 04:58 UTC on July 20, 2024.

At 05:40 UTC, the plume was reaching 4.8 km (16 000 feet) above sea level and was moving NE, according to the Tokyo VAAC Volcanic Ash Advisory issued at 06:06 UTC.

Volcanic ash is continuously observed in satellite imagery, the center reported at 14:00 UTC.

The eruption produced multiple shockwaves, clearly visible in the videos below:

Eruptions of similar strength took place at the volcano on July 14 and 17.

This is Sakurajima’s 24th eruption since the start of the year.

Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.

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