Shinmoe-dake, a volcanic crater in Japan’s Kirishima volcanic field, continued to erupt several days after coming to life on January 26, 2011. By Friday, January 28, a lava dome began to fill the crater. Agence France-Presse reported that continuing growth of the dome prompted Japanese authorities to evacuate nearby residents. The volcano also erupted ash 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) into the air, according to the Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center.
Shinmoe-dake’s thick ash plume was visible above extensive cloud cover on January 29, 2011. This natural-color image was acquired on the morning of the 29th by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) aboard Earth Observing-1 (EO-1). The ash is light gray, and surrounding clouds are white.
Related Reading
- In pictures: Japan volcano threat. BBC News.
- Mt. Kirishima Live. (Webcam).
- Recent eruptions similar to those 300 yrs ago. Daily Yomiuri Online.
- Satellite images. JAXA.
References & Resources
- AFP. (2011, January 31). Hundreds evacuate as Japan volcano erupts. Accessed January 31, 2011.
- Klemetti, Eric. (2011, January 31). Expanded evacuations as the Kirishima eruption continues. Accessed January 31, 2011.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using ALI data from the EO-1 team. Caption by Robert Simmon.
