On 3 August, JMA reported that Kuchinoerabujima erupted in the vicinity of Shin-dake crater and an overflight confirmed traces of ash on the west side of the volcano. Tokyo VAAC reported an ash plume rose to 1.5 km (5,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted N. JMA raised the Alert Level for Kuchinoerabujima from 2 to 3 (on a scale of 1-5). On 5 August, volcanic seismicity and volcanic tremor decreased and views from a remote web camera showed a white plume 50 m above the crater rim.

Geological Summary. A group of young stratovolcanoes forms the eastern end of the irregularly shaped island of Kuchinoerabujima in the northern Ryukyu Islands, 15 km W of Yakushima. The Furudake, Shindake, and Noikeyama cones were erupted from south to north, respectively, forming a composite cone with multiple craters. All historical eruptions have occurred from Shindake, although a lava flow from the S flank of Furudake that reached the coast has a very fresh morphology. Frequent explosive eruptions have taken place from Shindake since 1840; the largest of these was in December 1933. Several villages on the 4 x 12 km island are located within a few kilometers of the active crater and have suffered damage from eruptions.

Sources: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)