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Kuchinoerabu Island

Kuchinoerabujima

Stratovolcano · Japan · 657m

Kuchinoerabu rises to the SE above the fishing village of Motomura. The active cone of Shindake is in the center, Sankakutenyama is to the left, and Furudake (Hurudake) to the right. Shindake has been the site of frequent explosive eruptions in historical time. Several villages on the 4 x 12 km island are located within a few kilometers of the active crater and have suffered damage from eruptions.
Kuchinoerabu rises to the SE above the fishing village of Motomura. The active cone of Shindake is in the center, Sankakutenyama is to the left, and Furudake (Hurudake) to the right. Shindake has been the site of frequent explosive eruptions in historical time. Several villages on the 4 x 12 km island are located within a few kilometers of the active crater and have suffered damage from eruptions. · Photo: Copyrighted photo by Shingo Takeuchi (Japanese Quaternary Volcanoes database, RIODB, http://riodb02.ibase.aist.go.jp/strata/VOL_JP/EN/index.htm and Geol Surv Japan, AIST, http://www.gsj.jp/). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Japan
Region
Western Pacific Volcanic Regions / Ryukyu Volcanic Arc
Elevation
657m
Coordinates
30.443, 130.217
Last eruption
2020
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

A group of young stratovolcanoes forms the eastern end of the irregularly shaped island of Kuchinoerabujima in the northern Ryukyu Islands, 15 km W of Yakushima. The Furudake, Shindake, and Noikeyama cones were erupted from south to north, respectively, forming a composite cone with multiple craters. All historical eruptions have occurred from Shindake, although a lava flow from the S flank of Furudake that reached the coast has a very fresh morphology. Frequent explosive eruptions have taken place from Shindake since 1840; the largest of these was in December 1933. Several villages on the 4 x 12 km island are located within a few kilometers of the active crater and have suffered damage from eruptions.

From Wikipedia

Kuchinoerabu-jima , is one of the Satsunan Islands, usually classed with the Ōsumi Islands belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 38.04 km2 (14.69 sq mi) in area, has a population of 147. The island can only be reached by boat as it has no airport. There is regular ferry service with Yakushima, which is about 15 km to the east. Travel time is approximately 1 hour. The islanders are dependent mainly on fishing, agriculture and seasonal tourism. The entire island is within the borders of the Kirishima-Yaku National Park.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
9520 BCE~9135 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?3750 BCE~3365 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1827 BCE~1442 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1442 BCE~1057 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?481~866 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?866~1251 · 3 eruptions · max VEI ?1251~1635 · 3 eruptions · max VEI ?1635~2020 · 20 eruptions · max VEI 49520 BCE6827 BCE3750 BCE1057 BCE1635

Detailed timeline

  1. 2020VEI 3Observed
    2020-01-11 – 2020-05-13
  2. 2020VEI 1Observed
    2020-08-29 – 2020-08-29
  3. 2018VEI 3Observed
    2018-10-21 – 2019-02-03
    Shindake Crater
  4. 2015VEI 3Observed
    2015-05-29 – 2015-06-19
    Shindake crater
  5. 2014VEI 1Observed
    2014-08-03 – 2014-08-03
    Shindake
  6. 1980VEI 2Observed
    1980-09-28 – 1980-09-28
    NNE-SSW fissure on E side of Shindake
  7. 1976VEI 2Observed
    1976-04-02 – 1976-04-02
    Shindake
  8. 1974VEI 1Observed
    1974-06-03 – 1974-06-03
    Shindake
  9. 1973VEI 2Observed
    1973-11-05 – 1973-11-19
    Shindake
  10. 1972VEI 2Observed
    1972-09-02 – 1972-09-02
    Shindake
  11. 1968VEI 3Observed
    1968-12-21 – 1969-03-10
    Shindake
  12. 1966VEI 2Observed
    1966-11-22 – 1966-11-22
    Shindake
  13. 1945VEI 2Observed
    1945-11-03 – 1945-11-03
    NNE-SSW fissure on E side of Shindake
  14. 1933VEI 4Observed
    1933-12-23 – 1934-01-12
    Shindake
  15. 1932VEI 1Geological estimate
    1932-07-23 – 1932-07-23
    Shindake
  16. 1931VEI 3Observed
    1931-04-02 – 1931-06-22
    SW flank of Shindake
  17. 1914VEI 2Observed
    1914-01-05 – Ongoing
    Shindake
  18. 1906VEI ?Geological estimate
    1906 – 1907
    Shindake
  19. 1841VEI 2Observed
    1841-05-23 – 1841-08-01
    Shindake
  20. 1840VEI 2Observed
    1840 – Ongoing
    Shindake
  21. 1560 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1560 – Ongoing
    Furudake
  22. 1470 (±50 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1470 – Ongoing
    Furudake
  23. 1440 (±50 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1440 – Ongoing
    Shindake
  24. 1110 (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1110 – Ongoing
    Furudake
  25. 1100 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1100 – Ongoing
    Shindake
  26. 970 (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    970 – Ongoing
    Furudake
  27. 600 (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    600 – Ongoing
    Shindake
  28. 1140 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 1140 – Ongoing
    Furudake
  29. 1450 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 1450 – Ongoing
    Shindake
  30. 3480 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 3480 – Ongoing
    Furudake
  31. 9520 BCE (±300 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 9520 – Ongoing
    Furudake

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.