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Report on Asosan (Japan) — 2 March-8 March 2016


Asosan

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 2 March-8 March 2016
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2016. Report on Asosan (Japan) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 2 March-8 March 2016. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (2 March-8 March 2016)

Asosan

Japan

32.8849°N, 131.085°E; summit elev. 1592 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


JMA reported that at 0656 on 4 March an explosion at Asosan’s Nakadake Crater generated a milky-white plume that rose 1 km above the crater rim; white plumes rose 300 m afterwards. The amplitude of volcanic tremor had increased around the time of the eruption, but then had decreased afterwards. Fieldwork confirmed that a small amount of sediment had been ejected from the crater's hot lake, and ash had fallen on the E side of Aso and in Takamori (10 km ESE). The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-5).

Geological Summary. The 24-km-wide Asosan caldera was formed during four major explosive eruptions from 300,000 to 90,000 years ago. These produced voluminous pyroclastic flows that covered much of Kyushu. The last of these, the Aso-4 eruption, produced more than 600 km3 of airfall tephra and pyroclastic-flow deposits. A group of 17 central cones was constructed in the middle of the caldera, one of which, Nakadake, is one of Japan's most active volcanoes. It was the location of Japan's first documented historical eruption in 553 CE. The Nakadake complex has remained active throughout the Holocene. Several other cones have been active during the Holocene, including the Kometsuka scoria cone as recently as about 210 CE. Historical eruptions have largely consisted of basaltic to basaltic-andesite ash emission with periodic strombolian and phreatomagmatic activity. The summit crater of Nakadake is accessible by toll road and cable car, and is one of Kyushu's most popular tourist destinations.

Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)