Although seismicity remained at high levels following the multiple ash emissions on 20 July (15:07), the number of earthquakes fluctuated, decreasing after mid-August, increasing 28 August to a peak 31 August-2 September, then decreasing as of 10 September. During August, 103 earthquakes (down from 167 in July) primarily located under the summit, were recorded. Of the 36 recorded tremor episodes, the majority (25) occurred on 30 August after tremor was absent 3-28 August. Steam plume heights . . . remained high as of 10 September.

Geological Summary. Asamayama, Honshu's most active volcano, overlooks the resort town of Karuizawa, 140 km NW of Tokyo. The volcano is located at the junction of the Izu-Marianas and NE Japan volcanic arcs. The modern Maekake cone forms the summit and is situated east of the remnant of an older andesitic volcano, Kurofuyama, which was destroyed by a late-Pleistocene landslide about 20,000 years before present (BP). Growth of a dacitic shield volcano was accompanied by pumiceous pyroclastic flows, the largest of which occurred about 14,000-11,000 BP, and by growth of the Ko-Asamayama lava dome on the east flank. Maekake, capped by the Kamayama pyroclastic cone that forms the present summit, is probably only a few thousand years old and has observed activity dating back at least to the 11th century CE. Maekake has had several major Plinian eruptions, the last two of which occurred in 1108 (Asamayama's largest Holocene eruption) and 1783 CE.

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