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Report on Asamayama (Japan) — October 1982


Asamayama

Scientific Event Alert Network Bulletin, vol. 7, no. 10 (October 1982)
Managing Editor: Lindsay McClelland.

Asamayama (Japan) Abrupt seismic event increase; explosion two days later

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 1982. Report on Asamayama (Japan) (McClelland, L., ed.). Scientific Event Alert Network Bulletin, 7:10. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.SEAN198210-283110



Asamayama

Japan

36.406°N, 138.523°E; summit elev. 2568 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


A small explosion occurred at 0958 on 2 October, after a sudden increase in seismicity to 108 events on 30 September then a decrease to five events the next day. The explosion caused slight ashfall on the N side of the volcano, and was accompanied by a ground shock with 2.0 µm amplitude recorded 2.0 km S of the summit.

After the 26 April explosion local seismicity had been at its usual level until July, when volcanic tremor was recorded for 15 minutes on the 6th. The level was again low until mid-August, then increased gradually in September, peaking on the 30th. On 7 October, 17 volcanic tremor events were recorded, but no explosion occurred; four were recorded the next day. As of 4 November no further explosions have been recorded, although seismicity has remained at a high level.

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.

Information Contacts: JMA, Tokyo.