Report on Asamayama (Japan) — 7 June-13 June 2017
Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 7 June-13 June 2017
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2017. Report on Asamayama (Japan) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 7 June-13 June 2017. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
Asamayama
Japan
36.406°N, 138.523°E; summit elev. 2568 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
JMA stated that activity at Asama had been progressively increasing. During 2-5 June a plume rose less than 400 m above the active crater. Weak incandescence from the summit crater was recorded at night with a webcam. Sulfur dioxide flux was a little higher than 900 tons per day when measured on 2 June. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-5).
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.