* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Mount Sakurajima

Blobrana · L

A pair of explosive eruptions Sunday on Mount Sakurajima in Kagoshima Prefecture brought the total to 550 this year, setting a new annual record, the local meteorological observatory said.
Read more

Blobrana · L

Sakurajima volcano is a geologically young stratovolcano consisting of two N-S aligned and adjoining edifices, Kita-dake (1117 m) and Minami-dake (1040 m). Naka-dake (1069 m) is a lateral vent of Minami-dake and lies between the two main edifices. Construction of the volcano is thought to have begun about 13,000 years ago at the southern perimeter of the Aira Caldera which formed as a result of a massive eruption approximately 22,000 years ago. "Old Kita-dake" was active shortly after the Aira Caldera eruption, becoming inactive about 20,000 years ago. This was followed by the "Young Kita-dake" stage which involved several eruptions over the period from about 11,500 before present (BP) to 3500 BP. Since then, Kita-dake summit crater has been inactive, and numerous eruptions resulting in the construction of the Minami-dake edifice which partly overlies the south flank of Kita-dake.
Read more

Source

Blobrana · L

Mount Sakurajima, in southern Japan, has erupted at 08:30 GMT, (5:30 pm local time), on Wednesday. According to the Japanese Weather Agency, ash was blown 1,000 metres into the air. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Webcam 1
Webcam 2

The 1,117-metre high volcano is one of Japan's most active volcanoes situated in Kagoshima Bay, near the main island of Kyushuf . In 1914, a great eruption occurred, the outpouring of that lava now connects the former island to the Osumi Peninsula, so that the volcano is no longer an island.
Sakurajima is located in the Aira caldera, which formed in an enormous eruption 22,000 years ago. Several hundred cubic kilometres of ash and pumice were ejected, causing the magma chamber underneath the erupting vents to collapse. The resulting caldera is over 20 km across.

(133kb, 828 x 631)
Latitude 31°35'26.20"N Longitude 130°39'19.14"E