One of the most interesting facts about Sakurajima is that it was itself an island until 1914, when lava flows from a large eruption that year spread and hardened, connecting the island to Osumi Peninsula. Since 1955, the volcano has erupted 100-200 times a year.
Sakurajima is a symbol of Kagoshima Prefecture. Sakurajima used to be an island, as is reflected in its name—since jima or shima means “island” in Japanese—but the lava from a major eruption in 1914 connected the island to the Ōsumi Peninsula on the mainland of Kyūshū. …
Still, it is estimated that up to 140 people died as a result of the eruption itself and corresponding earthquakes, landslides, and building collapses (Siebert, Simkin, & Kimberly, 2011, p. 338).
approximately 13,000 years ago Sakurajima began forming approximately 13,000 years ago; prior to 1914, it was an island in Kagoshima Bay. Sakurajima was joined to the mainland by the deposition of volcanic material following a major eruption in 1914. Several craters lie near the 1,117-meter summit of Sakurajima.
Despite all, more than 5000 people are living at the foot of Sakurajima Mount; enjoying the benefits of this volcanic area's extremly rich soil. Four kilometers away from the crater, schoolchildren from the city of Kagoshima (60 000 inhabitants) are wearing helmets during school trips.
Sakurajima's last deadly eruption was in 1914, when 58 people died. The Japanese archipelago, which sits on the Pacific "Ring of fire", has more than 100 volcanoes. Sakurajima regularly spews ash and there are many small explosions there each year, with the latest eruption being in February.
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.
On September 13, 2016, a team of experts from Bristol University and the Sakurajima Volcano Research Centre in Japan suggested that the volcano could have a major eruption within 30 years; since then two eruptions have occurred….
| Sakurajima | |
|---|---|
| Mountain type | Somma-stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | 1955 to 2022 (Ongoing) |
Sakurajima (also spelled Sakurashima or Sakura-jima, 桜島 in Japanese) volcano in southern Kyushu is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and one of the few that are at present in constant (persistant) activity. Its ongoing typical activity range from strong strombolian to large ash explosions every 4-24 hours.