On November 1, 2023, military personnel located on Iwoto Island witnessed the birth of a new island following intense volcanic activity. The eruption, which occurred 1 km (0.62 miles) off the island’s southern coast, was preceded by frequent volcanic tremors since October 21.
Japan observed its hottest November day on record on November 3, 2023, with over 300 weather stations reporting record-breaking temperatures for this time of year.
Japan’s Izu Islands and parts of the Pacific Coast near Tokyo experienced tsunami waves up to 60 cm (2 feet) in height triggered by a shallow M5.0 earthquake that occurred at 20:26 UTC on October 8, 2023 (05:26 local time, October 9). The quake’s epicenter was situated near the uninhabited Torishima Island at the southern end of the Izu chain and is part of an ongoing earthquake swarm in the region.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.3 hit Izu Islands, Japan at 01:31 UTC on October 6, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS and EMSC are reporting M6.1 at a depth of 10 km.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.6 hit Izu Islands, Japan at 01:59 UTC on October 5, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The USGS is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles); EMSC M6.1 at a depth of 9 km (5.6 miles).
A strong earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.3 hit Izu Islands, Japan at 11:38 UTC on October 3, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 40 km (25 miles). The USGS is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 11.9 km (7.4 miles); EMSC M6.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
Japan experienced its warmest September on record in 2023, with a national monthly temperature that was 2.66 °C (4.79 °F) higher than the standard. The record-breaking temperatures were particularly pronounced in the eastern and western regions of the country.
Tropical Storm “Yun-yeung” formed on September 5, 2023, as the 13th named storm of the 2023 Pacific typhoon season. The cyclone is heading toward Japan, where it is expected to make landfall on September 8, bringing heavy rains and strong winds.
Tropical Cyclone “Lan” made landfall near Cape Shionomisaki in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture just before 05:00 LT on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 (20:00 UTC, August 14), with winds near 160 km/h (100 mph) — equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic.
An intense earthquake swarm that began around the end of 2019 in the northeastern Noto Peninsula, Japan, has been tied to fluids released by ancient, or possibly unknown modern, magmatic activity. This finding, published in JGR Solid Earth, challenges previous assumptions that such seismic activity could not occur in areas devoid of volcanic activity for over 10 million years.
