Japan experienced a natural disaster this past Sunday. Many people have evacuated because a volcano erupted and caused ash and large rocks to shoot up into the sky. “Large rocks fell as far as 1.5 miles from the Sakurajima volcano Sunday night in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima,” according to WTMW 8 ABC.
This tragic event could have caused people to lose valuables that can not be replaced. While this is not a recurrent situation, they would not rule out the possibility of having another volcano that could do further damage to the southern area of Japan.
Fortunately, there were no immediate damages or casualties that affected families in a way. According to NASA, “Sakurajima is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, having erupted on several occasions in recent decades.”
More eruptions could happen, but the chances are low. This does not mean that the residents of Japan should take their safety lightly. They should remain cautious of their surroundings for mudslides, rocks, and pyroclastic flow.
Volcanoes erupt when the magma rises to the top. The magma is molten rock within the volcano. The earth’s mantle must melt for magma to be formed. It is also said that magma is lighter than rock so it rises toward the earth’s surface.
Japan has 100 active volcanoes and accounts for about 10% of volcanoes in the world according to Volcano Discovery. This interesting fact displays that eruptions in Japan are not non-existent, but instead it depends on the area of the volcano.
Volcanoes could be very tragic events especially when residents are nearby because many homes and items would suffer damage from the rocks and lava. Luckily, people in Kyushu did not suffer the horrible fate of damages and casualties because that is never a good situation to be put into.
Recently, the Japan Meteorological Agency lowered the volcanic alert level from five (the highest meaning evacuation from the danger zone) to three (meaning (restriction on proximity to the volcano).
Written by Michael Williams
Sources;
WMTW 8 ABC: Video: Japan’s Sakurajima volcano erupts, prompting highest alert
CNN: Japan’s Sakurajima volcano erupts, prompting highest alert
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Inset Image Courtesy of Kimon Berlin‘s Flickr Page Creative Common License
