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Akan Volcanic Complex

Akan

Caldera · Japan · 1499m

Oakandake, the largest post-caldera cone at Akan volcano, is seen here from the W across the Akan Caldera lake. It was constructed at the NE end of the 13 x 14 km caldera, opposite a cluster of stratovolcanoes at the SW end. Meakan in the SW group has been frequently active.
Oakandake, the largest post-caldera cone at Akan volcano, is seen here from the W across the Akan Caldera lake. It was constructed at the NE end of the 13 x 14 km caldera, opposite a cluster of stratovolcanoes at the SW end. Meakan in the SW group has been frequently active. · Photo: Photo by Wataru Hirose, 1996 (Hokkaido University). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Caldera
Country
Japan
Region
Northwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions / Kuril Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1499m
Coordinates
43.384, 144.013
Last eruption
2026
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Caldera
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

Akan is a 13 x 24 km caldera located immediately SW of Kussharo caldera in eastern Hokkaido. The elongated, irregular outline of the caldera rim reflects its incremental formation during major explosive eruptions from the early to mid-Pleistocene. There are four post-caldera stratovolcanoes, three at the SW end of the caldera and the other on the NE side. Conical Oakandake was frequently active during the Holocene. The 1-km-wide Nakamachineshiri crater of Meakandake was formed during a major pumice-and-scoria eruption about 13,500 years ago. The Meakandake group, composed of nine overlapping cones E of Lake Akan, has produced mild phreatic eruptions since the beginning of the 19th century. The main cone of Meakandake proper has a triple crater at its summit. Although recorded eruptions at Meakandake have consisted of minor phreatic explosions, four major magmatic eruptions with pyroclastic flows have also occurred during the Holocene.

From Wikipedia

Akan Volcanic Complex is a volcanic group of volcanoes that grew out of the Akan caldera. It is located within Akan National Park, about 50 km Northwest of Kushiro in eastern Hokkaidō, Japan.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
7050 BCE~6747 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 44630 BCE~4327 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?3722 BCE~3420 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 33117 BCE~2815 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?2209 BCE~1907 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?999 BCE~697 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?697 BCE~394 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?394 BCE~92 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?92 BCE~211 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 4211~513 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?513~816 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?816~1118 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1118~1421 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1421~1723 · 2 eruptions · max VEI ?1723~2026 · 23 eruptions · max VEI 17050 BCE4932 BCE2512 BCE394 BCE1723

Detailed timeline

  1. 2026VEI ?Observed
    2026-03-07 – 2026-03-14
  2. 2025VEI ?Observed
    2025-09-15 – 2025-09-15
  3. 2008VEI 1Observed
    2008-11-18 – 2008-11-28
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  4. 2006VEI 1Observed
    2006-03-21 – 2006-03-21
    NE flank of Me-Akan
  5. 1998VEI 1Observed
    1998-11-09 – 1998-11-09
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  6. 1996VEI 1Observed
    1996-11-21 – 1996-11-21
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri crater no. 4)
  7. 1988VEI 1Observed
    1988-01-05 – 1988-02-18
    Me-Akan (SE rim of Ponmachineshiri)
  8. 1984VEI 1Observed
    1984-05-01 – 1984-05-01
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  9. 1966VEI 1Observed
    1966-06-15 – 1966-06-15
    Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
  10. 1965VEI 1Observed
    1965-05-15 – 1965-05-15
    Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
  11. 1964VEI 1Observed
    1964-06-18 – 1964-07-04
    Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
  12. 1962VEI 1Observed
    1962-04-28 – 1962-04-28
    Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
  13. 1960VEI 1Observed
    1960-09-16 – 1960-09-16
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  14. 1959VEI 1Observed
    1959-05-15 – 1959-10-16
    Me-Akan (Naka- and Ponmachineshiri)
  15. 1958VEI 1Observed
    1958-02-23 – 1958-02-23
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  16. 1957VEI 1Observed
    1957-02-26 – 1957-09-05
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  17. 1956VEI 1Observed
    1956-03-18 – 1956-10-31
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  18. 1955VEI 1Observed
    1955-11-19 – 1955-11-19
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  19. 1954VEI 1Observed
    1954-01-07 – 1954-04-13
    Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
  20. 1951VEI 1Geological estimate
    1951-07-31 – 1952-03-16
    Me-Akan (NE foot)
  21. 1927VEI 1Geological estimate
    1927-04 – 1927-05
    Me-Akan
  22. 1808VEI ?Observed
    1808 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan
  23. 1780 (±75 yrs)VEI 1Observed
    1780 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan
  24. 1600 (±50 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1600 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan
  25. 1550VEI ?Geological estimate
    1550 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan
  26. 1250 (±300 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1250 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  27. 950VEI ?Geological estimate
    950 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  28. 600 (±300 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    600 – Ongoing
    Akan-Fuji
  29. 250VEI ?Geological estimate
    250 – Ongoing
    Akan-Fuji
  30. 100 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    100 – Ongoing
    Akan-Fuji
  31. 50 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate
    BCE 50 – Ongoing
    Akan-Fuji
  32. 300 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 300 – Ongoing
    Akan-Fuji
  33. 550 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 550 – Ongoing
    Akan-Fuji
  34. 800 BCE (±250 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 800 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  35. 2050 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 2050 – Ongoing
    Kita-yama, Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  36. 3050 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 3050 – Ongoing
    Nishi-yama, O-Akan
  37. 3550 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI 3Geological estimate
    BCE 3550 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
  38. 4550 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 4550 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
  39. 7050 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate
    BCE 7050 – Ongoing
    Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.