Report on Niijima (Japan) — March 1992
Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 17, no. 3 (March 1992)
Managing Editor: Lindsay McClelland.
Niijima (Japan) Earthquake swarm but no surface changes evident
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 1992. Report on Niijima (Japan) (McClelland, L., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 17:3. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199203-284020
Niijima
Japan
34.397°N, 139.27°E; summit elev. 432 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
A seismic swarm recorded between 0200 and 0400 on 19 March consisted of 10 earthquakes beneath and around the island (figure 3). Several of the events were felt by island residents, the largest, M 2.5, at 0349. No surface anomalies were observed.
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Figure 3. Epicenter map of earthquakes near Nii-jima, 19 March 1992. Courtesy of JMA. |
Geological Summary. The elongated island of Niijima, SSW of Oshima, is 11 km long and only 2.5 km wide. It is comprised of eight low rhyolitic lava domes that are clustered in two groups at the northern and southern ends of the island, separated by a low, flat isthmus. The flat-topped domes give the island the appearance of two large plateaus bounded by steep cliffs. The Mukaiyama complex at the southern end of the island and Achiyama lava dome at the northern end were formed during Niijima's only historical eruptions in the 9th century CE. Shikineyama and Zinaito domes form small islands immediately to the SW and west, respectively, during earlier stages of volcanism. Earthquake swarms occurred during the 20th century.
Information Contacts: JMA.
