Major Volcanoes of the World
Major Volcanoes of the World : Avachinsky
| Colima | Galeras
| Mauna Loa | Mount
Etna | Mount Nyiragongo
| Mount Rainier | Mount
Unzen | Mount Vesuvius
| Sakurajima | Santamarķa
| Santorini | Taal
| Teide |
Ulawun
Sakurajima
Sakurajima is an active volcano and a former island (now connected to the mainland) of the same name in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. The north peak (its highest peak) rises 1,117 m above sea level. The mountain stands in the part of Kagoshima Bay which is also known as Kinko Bay . The island is part of the city of Kagoshima.
In 1914, a great eruption occurred, burying the straits with lava, and connecting the former island to the Osumi Peninsula, so that Sakurajima is no longer an island. The volcanic activity still continues, dropping large amounts of volcanic ash on the surroundings. Earlier eruptions built the white sands highlands in the region.
Geological history
Sakurajima is located in the Aira caldera, 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. Tephra fell as far as 1000 km from the volcano.
Sakurajima was formed by later activity within the caldera, beginning about 13,000 years ago. It lies about 8 km south of the centre of the caldera. Its first eruption in recorded history occurred in AD708. Most of its eruptions are strombolian, affecting only the summit areas, but larger plinian eruptions have occurred in 1471-1476, 1779-1782 and 1914.
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