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Report on Nasudake (Japan) — July 1996


Nasudake

Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 21, no. 7 (July 1996)
Managing Editor: Richard Wunderman.

Nasudake (Japan) Seismic activity increases

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 1996. Report on Nasudake (Japan) (Wunderman, R., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 21:7. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199607-283150



Nasudake

Japan

37.125°N, 139.963°E; summit elev. 1915 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


High seismicity was recorded on 14 July with a total of 14 earthquakes. The Nasu volcano group consists of a N-S cluster of stratovolcanoes and lava domes at the N end of the Kanto plain. Nasu volcanics date back at least 350,000 years. The youngest dome, Chausu-dake, is late Holocene in age and has had several severe explosive eruptions since its first historical eruption in the late 14th century.

Geological Summary. The Nasudake volcanic group consists of a N-S-trending cluster of stratovolcanoes and lava domes at the north end of the Kanto Plain. Volcanic activity dates back about 500,000 years. Growth of three large basaltic-to-dacitic stratovolcanoes, each lasting about 200,000 years, was followed by construction of three smaller andesitic stratovolcanoes, Asahidake, Futamatayama, and Chausudake. Activity during the last 55,000 years included the collapse of Asahidake volcano about 30-40,000 years ago, producing the massive Ofujisan debris-avalanche deposit, which covers a broad area SE of the volcano. The youngest volcano, Chausudake, began forming about 16,000 years ago. Six magmatic eruptions took place since then, the latest in 1408-1410 CE, when the Chausudake summit lava dome formed. These eruptions produced block-and-ash flows and concluded with the extrusion of lava flows. Smaller phreatic eruptions have occurred every few hundred years during the past 5,000 years.

Information Contacts: Volcanological Division, Japan Meteorological Agency, 1-3-4 Ote-machi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100, Japan