The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that the number of shallow volcanic earthquakes increased beneath Kuchinoerabujima’s Furudake Crater with 30 earthquakes recorded during 5-6 December. No changes to geothermal areas located in and around both Shindake and Furudake craters were observed during field surveys conducted on 20 and 23 November as well as 3 and 5 December. Sulfur dioxide emissions were low, fluctuating between 30 and 60 tons per day in December, and no ground deformation had been detected since November 2023. The Alert Level was raised to 2 (on a scale of 1-5) at 0800 on 6 December and the public was warned to be cautious within a 1 km radius of both craters and within 2 km on the W flank of Shindake Crater.

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)