An eruption plume from Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, rises above the city of Kagoshima. It is a post-caldera volcano of the Aira caldera at the northern half of Kagoshima Bay. Eruptions began around 13,000 years ago and built an island that joined the Osumi Peninsula during the eruption of 1914. Frequent eruptions have been recorded since the 8th century.

Photo courtesy of Richard Fiske (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Galleries: Explosive Eruptions | Ash Plumes and Ashfall

Keywords: ash plume | ash | plume | eruption | explosive eruption | stratovolcano | stratovolcano | caldera

Aira