A massive volcano on the Japanese main southern island of Kyushu explosively erupted today, October 20, at 11:43 am local time, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to issue warnings about the erupting volcano. The 5,223-foot Mount Aso Volcano is a very popular tourist destination and nearby webcams captured tourists visiting the area running for cover after the initial blasts ejected a massive plume of ash and volcanic debris more than 2 miles high into the sky.
Due to the immediate danger posed by the volcano, JMA issued a LEVEL 3 Warning for Kumamoto Prefecture, Aso City, Takamori Town, and Minamiaso Village. A level 3 warning means “do not approach the volcano” and urges people to refrain from entering the danger zone. A level 2 warning means people shouldn’t approach the crater of a volcano while the lowest level, a level one, warns of the potential for increased activity at the volcano.
👀 #MtAso #Japan #Volcano #Eruption https://t.co/vir7iPrOIu
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) October 20, 2021
Should the conditions worsen, a level 4 or 5 warning could be issued. A Level 4 warning is a “prepare to evacuate” message where people should prepare to leave the alert area; at a level 4, disabled people in the area should evacuate immediately. When a level 5 warning is issued, everyone should promptly evacuate the danger zone.
JMA said falling rocks and lava flows are possible from Mount Aso.
For those near the mountain, “caution must be exercised for large flying rocks and flows of pyroclastic materials,” said JMA official Tomoaki Ozaki during a televised press conference. “Caution is warranted even in far-away areas downwind, as the wind may carry not just ash but also pebbles,” Ozaki added.
Stunning footage of the #MtAso volcanic eruption in Japan! https://t.co/hUAG9X5UPI
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) October 20, 2021
Mount Aso is the largest volcano in Japan and is considered one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. It last experienced an eruption and a warning level equal to today’s back in 2016. It experienced a small eruption in April of 2019 but today’s activity far eclipsed the 2019 event.
Japan is one of the most volcanically active countries in the world. Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of active seismic and volcanic activity. The Ring of Fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. In a 25,000 mile horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes which amount to more than 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes.
Mount Aso now joins the current volcano headlines of La Cumbre Vieja Volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands and Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii which both began to erupt recently. According to USGS, there are normally around 2 dozen erupting volcanoes around the world at any given time. The USGS says there are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, with about 500 of the 1,500 erupting in historical times.
