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Report on Kuchinoerabujima (Japan) — 10 September-16 September 2014


Kuchinoerabujima

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 10 September-16 September 2014
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2014. Report on Kuchinoerabujima (Japan) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 10 September-16 September 2014. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (10 September-16 September 2014)

Kuchinoerabujima

Japan

30.443°N, 130.217°E; summit elev. 657 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


During 8-16 September JMA reported that Alert Level 3 conditions persisted at Kuchinoerabujima, but no eruptive activity was observed. Low-level seismicity continued and tremor was absent. White plumes were visible on webcamera images rising 800 m from the crater during 8-12 September and to 600 m during 13-16 September. A field survey on 12 September measured SO2 emissions that were similar to pre-eruptive levels (300 tons/day).

Geological Summary. A group of young stratovolcanoes forms the eastern end of the irregularly shaped island of Kuchinoerabujima in the northern Ryukyu Islands, 15 km W of Yakushima. The Furudake, Shindake, and Noikeyama cones were erupted from south to north, respectively, forming a composite cone with multiple craters. All historical eruptions have occurred from Shindake, although a lava flow from the S flank of Furudake that reached the coast has a very fresh morphology. Frequent explosive eruptions have taken place from Shindake since 1840; the largest of these was in December 1933. Several villages on the 4 x 12 km island are located within a few kilometers of the active crater and have suffered damage from eruptions.

Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)