• Increased activity at Sakurajima’s Minamidake crater, Japan

    After several relatively calm weeks, eruptions have picked up again at Japan's Sakurajima volcano. This time, the center of increased activity is Minamidake crater, Sakurajima's old summit vent, instead of the usual Showa crater. After a gradual increase of…

  • Sakurajima volcano eruption level intensifies to moderately strong

    A moderately strong explosive eruption was observed from the Showa crater of Sakurajima volcano, 50 km from the Sendai nuclear station in Japan on February 5, 2016. An ash plume rose to approximately 3 km (10 000 feet) altitude. The explosive eruption occurred at…

  • Most beautiful volcanic eruption – Sakurajima, Japan

    Video below was captured by meteorologist Robert Speta of the WestPacWx during the early morning hours of February 3, 2015. Sunrise provided a reddish tint in the ash.Notice lightning at 0:18 min. Video courtesy of WestPacWxTokyo VAAC reports an explosion at 06:55 UTC t

  • Intense explosions at Sakurajima, Japan

    Intense explosions accompanied by volcanic ash which is falling on nearby communities are continually observed at Japanese Sakurajima volcano.The Tokyo VAAC reported an explosion at 03:38 UTC today sent volcanic ash up to 2.7 km. Explosion at 09:41 UTC sent ash up 3 km.

  • 131st eruption of the year at Sakurajima, Japan

    Japanese Showa Crater of Sakurajima volcano had a series of relatively strong eruptions today. According to Tokyo VAAC, the volcano first erupted at 00:58 UTC on May 23 and ejected a column of smoke and ash up to 3.6 km (12 000 ft) into the air. This is Sakura

  • In Japan: volcano vs the nuclear power plant

    There is an ongoing battle between the Sakurajima volcano and 50-km-away Sendai nuclear power plant in Kyushu, southwestern Japan. While the operator of the power plant aims to restart its idle nuclear reactors, a new strong eruption b