Volcano Erupts 160km S. of Sendai Nuke Plant

Japan’s Mt. Shindake erupts prompting highest level alert on Kuchinoerabujima island

Officials are considering evacuation of about 150 residents of the small island of Kuchinoerabujima, reported NHK.

The explosion was followed by a pyroclastic flow of super-heated volcanic matter which swept down the side of the mountain and reached the ocean, NHK said.

It’s unclear whether the eruption and recent earthquakes in the region, or anything short of another direct nuclear catastrophe, would affect the restart of Kyushu Electric’s Sendai nuclear power plant, which the nuclear regulator cleared on Wednesday.

Shindake erupted about 10:00am local time, ejecting a large plume of black smoke and ash into the air, promoting the weather agency to issued a level-five warning for the area, the highest on its scale, and advising evacuations.

The Kuchinoerabujima island [area of 38.04km², population of 149 persons] is located about 160km south of the Sendai nuclear plant, on Japan’s southernmost main island of Kyushu.

EQ Details (recent seismic activity)

• M4.8 quake strikes 10km ESE of Makurazaki, Japan 2015-05-27 at 01:51:25 UTC depth=150.2 km (USGS/EHP)
• M4.5 quake 4km E of Makurazaki, Japan 2015-05-24 at 00:09:38 UTC depth=161.7 km (USGS/EHP)
• M4.0 quake strikes Fukuoka pref. (33.0N, 130.5E) 27 May 2015-05-27 at 16:11 JST (UTC + 9 hrs.)  depth=10 km  (JMA)
• M5.2 quake 24km NNE of Naze (28.573°N 129.567°E), Japan 2015-05-22 at 13:28:49 UTC Depth=35.9 km

Current Volcanic Alerts in the Region (JMA)

• Kuchinoerabujima, Level 5 (Evacuate)   10:07 JST, 29 May 2015
• Sakurajima,  Level 3 Alert ,  since 21 March 2012
• Asosan,  Level 2 Alert (Do not approach the crater) since 30 August 2014
• Kirishimayama (Shinmoedake),  Level 2 Alert,  since 22 October 2013
• Suwanosejima, Level 2  Alert, since 01 December 2007
• Kirishimayama,  volcano is potentially active, since 01 May 2015

Related Links

• Quakes Strike North and South of Sendai Nuclear Power Plant May 27, 2015