Suwanose-jima Volcano | John Seach

john

(Mt Otake)
Ryukyu Islands, Japan

29.53 N, 129.72 E
summit elevation 799 m
stratovolcano

Suwanose-jima is one of the world's most active volcanoes.
The volcano is located on an 8 km long island in northern Ryuku Islands.
The volcano has been in a state of regular Strombolian eruption since 1949. The volcano contains two historically active summit craters.

2012 Eruptions
An explosive eruption occurred at Suwanose-jima volcano on 12 January 2012. Plume height reached 300 m above crater rim. No explosive eruptions occurred for the remainder of the year.

2009 Eruptions, Solar Eclipse and Earthquake
The centre line a total solar eclipse passed just south of Suwanose-jima Volcano on Wednesday 22nd July 2009. An explosion occurred at Suwanose-jima on 6th July 2009. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred 55 km SE of Suwanose-jima volcano on 30th October 2009 at 4:03 pm local time.

2008 Eruptions
Eruptions continued at Suwanose-jima volcano in November 2008. Multiple explosions created plumes which rose to 2 km altitude.

1993 Eruptions
In August 1993 eruptions sent ash plume over a distance of 100 km.

1992 Eruptions
Lava fountains were observed at the volcano on 21st November 1992.

1979 Eruptions
On 5th September explosions were heard at Yaku-shima Island, 90 km NE of Suwanose-jima, and windows and doors on Yaku-shima were rattled by shock waves.

Further Reading
SHIMANO, T. and KOYAGUCHI, T., 2001. Eruption styles and degassing process of ascending magma of the 1813 eruption of Suwanose-jima volcano, southwest Japan. Kazan, 46(2), pp.53-70.

ISHIHARA, K., 1995. SUWANOSE-JIMA. Bulletin of volcanic eruptions, 32, pp.61-63.

Tiba, T., 1989. Petrochemistry of the volcanic rocks from Kuchino-shima, Nakano-shima and Suwanose-jima, Tokara Islands. Memoirs of the Natural Science Museum, Tokyo, 22, pp.7-19.

Hirasawa, K. and Matsumoto, H., 1983. Volcanic geology of Suwanose-jima, the Tokara Islands, Kagoshima prefecture. Bull Volcanol Soc Jpn, 28, pp.101-115.

Suwanose-jima Volcano Eruptions

1949-2021, 1940, 1938, 1934, 1925, 1921-22, 1915?, 1914?, 1889, 1885, 1884, 1877, 1813.