Download Sakurajima volcano eruptions

Sakurajima is an active composite cone volcano in southern
Japan and is one of the most active volcanoes in the
world, with a population of half a million. The eruption
showered ash on the streets of Kagoshima, which is only 2km
away from the volcano.
The volcano erupts andesite lava and is very active, which
makes it very dangerous for people and the environment.
People of Kagoshima wear face masks to protect themselves
while sweeping away the ash and making sure they don’t
breath in the poisoned gas.
The volcano can erupt more than 200 times in a year and is
expected to continue erupting.
Japan is on a destructive plate boundary where the Pacific
plate is subducted beneath the Eurasian plate.
Link: http://youtu.be/XUpicKVrjiI
Lava flows and hot
springs are a tourist
attraction
7000 people live at
base of volcano
The lava joined the island
with the main land
Economical impacts
Social impacts
• Houses damaged
• Deaths
• Roads covered in ash
• People get injured
• Crops destroyed
• Homelessness
• Buildings damaged
• Lung disease
Economic impacts:
Expensive to monitor and predict but Japan can afford it.
If high VEI did occur damage to infrastructure and buildings would be very
expensive.
Social impacts:
Few deaths as they have lava bomb shelters, warnings and evacuation plans.
The Sakurajima volcano has erupted numerous times throughout history.
eruptions are recorded in the 1470s, in 1779, 1914 and 1915, 1946 and in
1960. The eruption that occurred in 1914 and 1915 was the most violent
volcanic eruption in Japan since the country began keeping historical
records. The lava from the volcano joint the island with the main land.18
villages on the island were wiped out by lava flows, which destroyed
about 2,500 buildings.
Sakurajima volcano eruptions:
1955, 1954, 1950, 1948, 1946, 1942, 1941,
1940, 1939, 1938, 1935, 1914-15, 1899,
1860, 1799, 1797, 1794, 1792, 1791, 1790,
1785, 1783, 1782, 1779-81, 1756, 1749,
1742, 1706, 1678, 1670, 1642, 1478, 147176, 1468, 778, 766, 764, 716-18, 712, 708
Tuesday, Oct 02, 2012
Monday, Sep 24, 2012
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Lava
Volcano
crater
Rising magma
Continental plate
Oceanic plate
Mantle
Subduction
zone
Friction of
plates
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Plate is
melted by
magma
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Sign warning about ash on roads
Shelter
Sign for evacuation
Roads in ash
Concrete shelter
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Collecting ash
Kagoshima Bay = good port for a fishing industry
Hot springs and lava flows brings tourism to the area = good for local
economy
Volcanic soil is very fertile
People have been living here for a long time, so will not want to move
Monitoring, protection and evacuation drills means that people are
prepared = risk of death is low
Protection:
• Concrete shelters are built to
protect against volcanic bombs
and ash.
• Concrete Lahar channels divert
dangerous mudflows.
• aircraft is used to measure the
amount of gas given out.
Prediction:
• Extra gas emissions, increases in ground
temperatures, and earthquakes.
• Seismometers monitor can sometimes
predict when the volcano might erupt.
• Tiltmeters detect when the volcano is
filled up with magma.
• Measuring water temperature.
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Preparation:
• Evacuation are planned and
clearly sign posted so that
people can escape safely if there
is an eruption going on.
• Everyone practices regularly for
evacuation drills at school and in
workplaces.