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Report on Aira (Japan) — September 1977


Aira

Natural Science Event Bulletin, vol. 2, no. 9 (September 1977)
Managing Editor: David Squires.

Aira (Japan) Minor ashfalls from explosions; falling scoria starts forest fire

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 1977. Report on Aira (Japan) (Squires, D., ed.). Natural Science Event Bulletin, 2:9. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.NSEB197709-282080



Aira

Japan

31.5772°N, 130.6589°E; summit elev. 1117 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


Ash clouds rose to a maximum of 2,800 m above the crater in August, but ashfalls were minor. Falling scoria from an explosion at 1317 on 29 August caused [grass fires at 8 points] on the SW flank. [The fires were extinguished in a few minutes.]

Geological Summary. The Aira caldera in the northern half of Kagoshima Bay contains the post-caldera Sakurajima volcano, one of Japan's most active. Eruption of the voluminous Ito pyroclastic flow accompanied formation of the 17 x 23 km caldera about 22,000 years ago. The smaller Wakamiko caldera was formed during the early Holocene in the NE corner of the caldera, along with several post-caldera cones. The construction of Sakurajima began about 13,000 years ago on the southern rim and built an island that was joined to the Osumi Peninsula during the major explosive and effusive eruption of 1914. Activity at the Kitadake summit cone ended about 4,850 years ago, after which eruptions took place at Minamidake. Frequent eruptions since the 8th century have deposited ash on the city of Kagoshima, located across Kagoshima Bay only 8 km from the summit. The largest recorded eruption took place during 1471-76.

Information Contacts: JMA, Tokyo.