'Explosive' eruptions at Japan volcano

Powerful eruptions at a volcano in southern Japan spewed ash thousands of metres into the air Wednesday, as authorities warned locals not to approach the mountain.

"The plume reached the height of 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) for the first time since April 3, 2011" following a total of 29 eruptions at Mount Shinmoedake, Japan's weather agency said in a statement.

The volcano, which featured in the 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice", has been grumbling since Thursday.

But on Wednesday and the previous day, the volcano produced so-called "explosive" eruptions, which also feature air blasts.

Footage captured by the Meteorological Agency showed lava and thick grey smoke rising from the mountain around midnight Wednesday.

People were ordered to stay away from the volcano as major ash deposits spread from the crater, the agency said.

There have been no injuries reported as a result of the volcanic activity.

Japan, with scores of active volcanoes, sits on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" where a large proportion of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.

In January, a soldier from the country's Self-Defense Forces was killed and several other people injured after an eruption near a popular ski resort in northwest of Tokyo.

On September 27, 2014, Japan suffered its deadliest eruption in almost 90 years when Mount Ontake, in central Nagano prefecture, burst unexpectedly to life.

An estimated 63 people were killed in the shock eruption which occurred as the peak was packed with hikers out to see the region's spectacular autumn colours.

NASA satellite spots erupting Japanese volcano
Washington (UPI) Mar 7, 2018 - As the ash plume from Shinmoedake continues to rise high into the atmosphere, new images from NASA offer a bird's-eye view of the erupting volcano.

Earlier this week, NASA's Aqua satellite and its spectrometer, MODIS, captured a false-color image of the erupting volcano on Japan's Mount Kirishima. The image shows the ash plume erupting from Shinmoedake and being blown south and east across the Japanese island of Kyushu.

Shinmoedake has erupted several times in recent decades -- in 2017, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 1991. The most recent eruption forced the grounding of several dozen airline flights.

The latest reports suggest the ash plume has risen nearly two miles above the volcanic crater. The eruption that began Tuesday morning has also spewed several large volcanic rocks down the mountain side.

While no reported flows have breached the rim of the volcanic crater, volcanic activity is expected to continue. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that pyroclastic flows could extend as far as two miles from the crater.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

New study reveals the secret of magmas that produce global treasures
Johannesburg, South Africa (SPX) Mar 05, 2018
South Africa's history and economy has been built on its rich natural treasures of a number of precious metals, stones and minerals. The country's mineral deposits have been created over hundreds of millions of years through processes that are still not completely understood. One of these processes, that has troubled scientists and geologists for years, is the origin of chromitite layers hosted by layered intrusions - a major source of chromium on our planet. This process has been a mystery ... read more