A large shallow earthquake at Kuchinoerabujima was recorded at 2133 on 27 October, prompting JMA to raise the Alert Level to 3 (the middle level on a scale of 1-5) within a few hours. The report also stated that the number of volcanic earthquakes had increased on 18 October. A large earthquake was also detected on 18 October but had occurred at a slightly deeper location (below the W part of Shindake Crater) than the 27 October event.

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)