Slow-motion recording

Japan: Volcano spews 5000 meter high ash cloud

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

People in southern Japan experienced a spectacular volcanic eruption at the weekend. On Kyushu, the country's third largest main island, the Sakurajima volcano emitted a huge cloud of ash that rose up to a height of 5000 meters into the sky (see video above).

The slow-motion footage now released shows the eruption of the volcano, which is located directly opposite the center of the port city of Kagoshima in the prefecture of the same name. In a bulletin, the authorities warned of "ballistic impacts from volcanic bombs and pyroclastic flows." These could affect an area around two kilometers away from the main crater, it said.

Sunday's eruption was Sakurajima's 23rd this year. The 1117-metre-high volcano - one of Japan's most active - spews ash and smoke fairly regularly and is a popular tourist attraction.

The volcano is located directly opposite the center of the port city of Kagoshima (seen in the foreground).(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

A special feature is its frequently observed so-called volcanic thunderstorms. The friction of ash particles causes electrical voltages to build up, which are then discharged in twitching lightning bolts.

Japan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a volcanic belt that surrounds the Pacific Ocean on three sides and extends across numerous countries. Around two thirds of all volcanic eruptions and around 90 percent of earthquakes worldwide occur in this area.