New explosive eruption at Shinmoedake volcano, Japan

The Watchers
Fri, 22 Jun 2018 00:09 UTC

© MORI MORI

A new explosive eruption took place at Japan's Shinmoedake volcano, a part of Kirishimayama volcanic complex, at 00:09 UTC (09:09 JST) on June 22, 2018. This was its first explosive eruption since May 14.

The eruption ejected a column of ash up to 4.6 km (14 000 feet) above sea level, according to the Tokyo VAAC. Volcanic material was thrown as far as 1.1 km (0.7 miles) from the crater.

This was the first explosive eruption of this volcano since 05:44 UTC on May 14. That eruption sent ash up to 7.6 km (25 000 feet) above sea level, making it nearly 1 km higher than April 4^th eruption and the highest since the current eruptive phase of this volcano began on March 1, 2018.

According to Tokyo VAAC, the volcanic ash was continually observed up until 11:20 UTC on May 15.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) maintains the alert level at 3 since March 15. This level means people should stay away from the mountain and remain cautious of falling large rocks within a 3-km (1.8 miles) radius of the crater.

Geological summary

Kirishimayama is a large group of more than 20 Quaternary volcanoes located north of Kagoshima Bay. The late-Pleistocene to Holocene dominantly andesitic group consists of stratovolcanoes, pyroclastic cones, maars, and underlying shield volcanoes located over an area of 20 x 30 km (12.4 - 18.6 miles).

The larger stratovolcanoes are scattered throughout the field, with the centrally located, 1700-m-high (5 577 feet) Karakunidake being the highest.

Onamiike and Miike, the two largest maars, are located SW of Karakunidake and at its far eastern end, respectively.

Holocene eruptions have been concentrated along an E-W line of vents from Miike to Ohachi, and at Shinmoedake to the NE. Frequent small-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded since the 8^th century. (GVP)

Comment: This comes days after an M6.1 earthquake in Osaka. Japan, which killed 3 people, and a few months following Shinmoedake's first recorded pyroclastic flow.

Other seismic and volcanic activity documented in the past few months:

• Powerful M6.1 quake strikes Port Villa, Vanuatu - Location considered "unusual"
• Vancouver Island hit with over 150 tremors in 24 hour
• M4.4 earthquake shakes part of northern Oklahoma
• Kilaeua: Lava covers more than 9 miles of island, M5.4 quake reported
• Series of stronger eruptions at Stromboli volcano in Italy
• Volcano in the Galapagos Islands erupts after series of 9 earthquakes
• Powerful earthquake in Bárðarðarbunga, Iceland, one of Vatnajökull's monster volcanoes
• Sakurajima volcano erupts again in southwestern Japan
• Another major eruption at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia
• Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser has now erupted eight times in less than three months intriguing scientists

For more on the changes occurring on our planet, check out SOTTs' monthly documentary: SOTT Earth Changes Summary - May 2018: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs

As well as SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Earth changes in an electric universe: Is climate change really man-made?