SHINMOEDAKE ERUPTS IN JAPAN eruption began at 7:30 AM Although called a minor eruption, it was the largest eruption since 1959 JANUARY 26-31, 2011 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of North Carolina, USA

JAPAN HAS 104 ACTIVE VOLCANOES The 1,421-m (4,662-ft) Mount Shinmoedake is a part of the Kirishima volcano complex comprised of 20 active volcanoes

Mount Shinmoedake is located on the border of the Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures

In the previous four months, Miyazaki prefecture had also suffered from an epidemic of the H5N1 bird flu, and a foot-and- mouth epidemic that is expected to cause ~ $ 2 billion in economic losses for the local livestock industry.

The inflation of the Shinmoedake volcano that eventually culminated in an eruption had been underway since December 2009

May 10, 2010 to Present: ~6 million m 3 (0.006 km 3 ) of magma in a reservoir at 6 km depth ~10 km WNW from Shinmoedake and another 1 million m 3 (0.001 km 3 ) of magma at 3 km depth under the Shinmoedake cone itself.

The eruption produced lava fountains, andesitic lava flows, and ash emissions that reached a height of nearly 5 miles (7.5 km)

ERUPTION

VOLCANIC LIGHTNING: SHINMOEDAKE

VOLCANIC LIGHTNING

ERUPTION OF SHINMOEDAKE

ERUPTION VIEWED FROM TAKAHARU

DOME INSIDE SHINMOEDAKE’S CRATER: JAN 31, 2011

Approximately 13,000 hectares of farm land were damaged by the falling ash deposits.

Flights in the region were canceled and 1,100 people in the vicinity were evacuated to gymnasiums and other facilities in the town of Takaharu, seven miles east of Kirishima.