Volcano overview nationwide November Meteorological Agency December 9 22:03

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced the activity status of active volcanoes nationwide from November to December and points to watch out for on the 9th.

As eruptions occurred and volcanic activity increased,
▽ "Near crater warning" for nine volcanoes nationwide,
▽ An "eruption warning (surrounding sea area)" has been announced for one submarine volcano.

9 volcano alarms around the crater

The crater periphery warning has been announced as a possible future eruption may affect the vicinity of the crater and the neighborhood.
▽ "Shirane" of Kusatsu Shirane in Gunma Prefecture,
▽ “Mt. Aso” in Kumamoto Prefecture,
▽ Shinmoedake of Kirishima mountain range at the border of Kagoshima and Miyazaki ▽ Sakurajima, Kuchierabujima, Satsuma Iwojima, Suwanosejima, Kagoshima Prefecture,
▽ There are 9 volcanoes in total including “Nishinojima” and “Iwojima” in the Ogasawara Islands.

Eruption caution level 3 is 2 volcanoes

Among them, eruption warning level 3 indicating "Iriyama regulation" that may affect the vicinity of the place of residence has been announced in "Sakurajima" and "Kuchinoerabujima".

<Sakurajima>
Active eruption activity continues at the Minamidake summit crater in Sakurajima.
In November, 137 eruptions were observed, of which 77 were explosive. The volcanic plume rose up to 5500 meters from the crater, and a large volcanic block reached the 4th station from 1300 meters to 1700 meters from the crater.
The Kagoshima Regional Meteorological Observatory has confirmed ash fall on the 23rd in one month.
Volcanic gas emissions remained high.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is calling for caution against large cinders and pyroclastic flows in the area about 2 km from the Minamidake summit crater and the Showa crater, as eruptions may occur mainly in the Minamidake summit crater.

<Kuchinoerabujima>
In Kuchinoerabujima, no eruption has been observed since February 3.
The amount of volcanic gas released per day is observed to be 600 tons on November 4th and 23rd.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has a large cinder and pyroclastic flow in the range of about 2 km from the crater.
▽ In the area from the crater to the coast from the Mukaihama area to the southwest of Shindake, we are calling to be wary of pyroclastic flows.

Eruption caution level 2 is 5 volcanoes

The eruption warning level 2 where access to the crater area is regulated is “Shirane” in Kusatsu Shirane,
▽ "Mt. Aso",
▽ Shinmoedake of Kirishima Mountains,
▽ "Satsuma Iwo Jima",
▽ It has been announced on five volcanoes of "Suwanosejima".

<Satsuma Iwo Jima>
An eruption occurred at Satsuma Iwojima on November 2, and the grayish white smoke rose to just over 1000 meters from the crater.
The Japan Meteorological Agency raised the eruption alert level from 1 to 2.
After that, no eruption occurred, but the field survey on November 6 shows that the amount of volcanic gas released per day is slightly high at 1300 tons.
In addition, thermal activity continues to increase, with high-temperature volcanic gas, etc. appearing red in clouds and volcanic smoke.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has called for a large cinder to be cautious about 1 km from the crater.

<Shinmoedake>
At Shinmoedake in the Kirishima Mountains, volcanic earthquakes with an epicenter immediately below the crater increased, and the Meteorological Agency raised the eruption alert level from 1 to 2 on November 18. Since then, there have been few volcanic earthquakes and no volcanic tremors have been observed.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has called for a large cinder to be about 2 km from the crater, and to be cautious of pyroclastic flows in the range of about 1 km.

<Mt. Aso>
At Aso, the eruption continues at the Nakadake Daiichi crater.
The amplitude of volcanic tremors gradually increased in the second half of November and is somewhat larger.
The amount of volcanic gas emitted per day has increased during the second half of the month, and the volcanic activity is increasing at a very high level of 2000 to 6300 tons.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is cautious of large cinders and pyroclastic flows in the range of about 1 km from Nakadake No. 1 crater, and calls on not entering dangerous areas according to instructions from local governments.

<Mt. Shirane of Kusatsu Shirane>
At Mt. Shirane in Kusatsu-Shirane, volcanic earthquakes have increased slightly in the shallow part of Yukama since early September, and tilt fluctuations that indicate the expansion of shallow parts of Yukama have been observed.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has called for a large volcanic block to be cautious about 1 km from the Yukama crater, as small-scale steam eruptions may continue.

<Suwanosejima>
Eruptions occasionally occurred at the Mitake crater in Suwanosejima.
It has also been frequently observed that a hot gas appears in red at night, as reflected by fumes and clouds.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is calling for caution against large cinders associated with eruptions in the range of about 1 km from the crater, as there is a risk of eruptions affecting the crater area.

No level warning but 2 volcanoes

Although no eruption warning level has been introduced, “Nanojima” and “Iwojima” in the Ogasawara Islands have been announced.

<Nishinoshima>
In Nishinoshima, it was confirmed on December 5th that the temperature of the ground was rising by the observation by the meteorological satellite, and the Japan Meteorological Agency announced a crater warning again that there was a possibility that an eruption occurred. To "Iriyama Danger".
Later, observations from the sky above the Japan Coast Guard confirmed that an eruption occurred at the summit crater and the eastern crater, and that the lava flow reached the coast of the island.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has called for large volcanic blocks and lava flows that are roughly 1.5 kilometers from the summit crater.

<Iwo Jima>
On Iwo Jima, where it is estimated that a submarine eruption occurred in September last year, volcanic activity has been somewhat active, with changes in the ground indicating uplift, and the island's overall temperature rising.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has called for caution as there is a risk of an eruption affecting the crater area.

“Eruption warning (surrounding sea area)” in “Fukutokuoka Noba”

At Fukutokuoka Noba, a submarine volcano near the Ogasawara Islands, an eruption warning (surrounding sea area) has been announced as an eruption that may affect the surrounding sea area.

In the surrounding area, discoloration of the sea surface, which seems to be due to volcanic activity, has been confirmed.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has called for vigilance in the surrounding waters as a small-scale submarine eruption is expected.

No alarm / Level 1 risk awareness

There are no volcanic eruption warnings among active volcanoes nationwide, and there are volcanoes with an eruption alert level of 1, but they are still active volcanoes that have repeatedly erupted in the past.

Even just this time, eruptions occurred at level 1 on Mt. Asama and Satsuma Iwojima, and the level was raised immediately thereafter.

It is necessary to reaffirm that a sudden eruption can occur in the absence of a significant omen, even at the lowest eruption alert level.

Check the latest volcano information

You can check the status and precautions of volcanic activity in each region on the Japan Meteorological Agency, local meteorological observatories, and local government websites.