Sakurajima began forming approximately 13,000 years ago ; prior to 1914, it was an island in Kagoshima Bay. Sakurajima was joined to the mainland by the deposition of volcanic material following a major eruption in 1914. Several craters lie near the 1,117-meter summit of Sakurajima.
What makes Sakurajima explosive?
Sakurajima “has a very regular flux of magma and gas , and that explains why it erupts so frequently,” Fee told LiveScience's OurAmazingPlanet. ... Many frequently erupting volcanoes, like Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, gush basalt, a liquidy lava that has trouble holding onto the gas bubbles that cause explosive eruptions.
What is unique about Sakurajima?
Sakurajima (also spelled Sakurashima or Sakura-jima, 桜島 in Japanese) volcano in southern Kyushu is one of the most active volcanoes in the world , and one of the few that are at present in constant (persistant) activity. Its ongoing typical activity range from strong strombolian to large ash explosions every 4-24 hours.
Has Sakurajima killed anyone?
Sakurajima is responsible for Japan's most powerful eruption in the twentieth century. ... While no one died directly due to the eruption , 35 people perished from the accompanying earthquakes.
What is the physical characteristics of Sakurajima?
Sakurajima is a stratovolcano . Its summit has three peaks, Kita-dake (northern peak), Naka-dake (central peak) and Minami-dake (southern peak) which is active now. Kita-dake is Sakurajima's highest peak, rising to 1,117 m (3,665 ft) above sea level. The mountain is in a part of Kagoshima Bay known as Kinkō-wan.
Is Aira caldera a supervolcano?
Aira caldera is located at Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. The supervolcano peaks at 1117m 3 . It is Japan's most active caldera with hundreds of minor eruptions from its volcanoes occurring each year. ... Aira caldera is surrounded by the major city of Kagoshima which has a population of more than 900,000.
Is Sakurajima a supervolcano?
In the quiet, beautiful area of Southern Japan just on the edge of Kagoshima, sits the Sakurajima volcano. A supervolcano is any volcano that is capable of producing an eruption greater than 1000 km2 of magma. ...
What is Sakurajima known for?
Sakurajima (also spelled Sakurashima or Sakura-jima, 桜島 in Japanese) volcano in southern Kyushu is one of the most active volcanoes in the world , and one of the few that are at present in constant (persistant) activity. Its ongoing typical activity range from strong strombolian to large ash explosions every 4-24 hours.
How many people have died to Sakurajima?
Still, it is estimated that up to 140 people died as a result of the eruption itself and corresponding earthquakes, landslides, and building collapses (Siebert, Simkin, & Kimberly, 2011, p. 338).
How did Sakurajima get its name?
Sakurajima used to be an island, as is reflected in its name—since jima or shima means “island” in Japanese—but the lava from a major eruption in 1914 connected the island to the Ōsumi Peninsula on the mainland of Kyūshū.
Is Sakurajima safe?
For the most part, Sakurajima is entirely safe to visit . It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get close to a heavy-weight, natural powerhouse.
Is Sakurajima in the Ring of Fire?
An exploration around the fiery Pacific Rim, Ring of Fire examines the geological causes of volcanoes and how people have adapted to living in their shadow. ... Spectacular volcanic eruptions are featured, including Mount St. Helens, Navidad in Chile, Sakurajima in Japan , and Mount Merapi in Indonesia.
Did a volcano erupt in Japan today?
Sakurajima volcano (Kyushu, Japan): vigorous eruption today
The activity of the volcano continues at moderate to high levels. Today at 13:20 local time Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Tokyo (VAAC) recorded a strong vulcanic eruption that generated a dense dark ash plume, which reached approx. 14,000 ft (4,267 m) altitude.
What type of magma does Sakurajima have?
It appears that Sakurajima Volcano is formed by andesite-dacite magma of an intermediate composition or a mixture of both, and broadly as the age becomes younger, it appears that the proportion of mafic magma originating from the mantle increases (Uto et al., 2005).
What tectonic plate is Sakurajima on?
The location of the Sakurajima volcano.
The Philippine Plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate, in the Ryukyo Trench, to the Southeast of the Islands.
What is the most active volcano in the world?
Rising gradually to more than 4 km (2.5 mi) above sea level, Hawaii's Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet.
