-
Ash City
Photograph by Motoki Nakashima, Yomiuri Shimbun/AP
Ash gushing from an erupting volcano in Japan covers a downtown area of the city of Takaharumachi in Miyazaki Prefecture on Monday.
The Shinmoedake volcano awakened last week, spewing ash, lava, and lightning (see pictures of last week's volcanic lightning). The biggest explosion yet occurred on January 31, with a bang that shattered windows five miles (eight kilometers) away, according to BBC News.
Residents living near the 4,662-foot-tall (1,421-meter-tall) volcano have been advised to evacuate to a shelter.
(Also see pictures: "Merapi Volcano Ash Smothers Indonesian Villages.")
Published February 1, 2011
-
Rising Lava
Photograph by Motoki Nakashima, Yomiuri Shimbun/AP
A helicopter view shows a lava dome rising in Shinmoedake volcano's crater on January 31. Experts are still unsure whether lava will start to spill over the dome.
Shinmoedake is part of the Kirishima volcano complex, a grouping of about 20 volcanic peaks on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu (map). The site featured in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, serving as the secret base of the main villain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
Published February 1, 2011
-
Ash Sweeping
Photograph from Kyodo/Reuters
People sweep volcanic ash from the streets of Miyakonojo in Miyazaki Prefecture on January 28.
Most of the volcanic eruptions in the Kirishima range have occurred at Shinmoedake and another peak called Ohachi, according to the Japanese news publication theDaily Yomiuri. The new eruptions are considered ominous because they closely resemble highly destructive blasts that occurred at Shinmoedake nearly 300 years ago, the Daily Yomiuri reported.
(Also see "Iceland Volcano Pictures: Lightning Adds Flash to Ash.")
Published February 1, 2011
-
Volcano Cleanup
Photograph by Motoki Nakashima, Yomiuri Shimbun/AP
A farmer blows ash from a vinyl structure in the city of Kobayashi in Miyazaki Prefecture on January 29.
The explosive, ashy activity at Shinmoedake volcano is characteristic of phreatomagmatic eruptions, which are caused when hot magma and underground water directly interact, experts told the Daily Yomiuri.
(Take a natural disasters quiz.)
Published February 1, 2011
-
Buried Downtown
Photograph by Motoki Nakashima, Yomiuri Shimbun/AP
Coated in gray ash, the downtown area of Takaharumachi in Miyazaki Prefecture is seen on January 31.
The most recent eruption of Shinmoedake sent a barrage of volcanic debris, including hot ash and rocks, more than 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) into the air, according to BBC News.
(Watch National Geographic videos of volcanic eruptions.)
Published February 1, 2011
Most Popular News
-
New Solar Eclipse Pictures
See stunning images of the annular eclipse that created a "ring of fire" enjoyed by millions of sky-watchers in Asia and the U.S. West.
-
Evolutionary Flop?
New 3-D models suggest that what's been seen as one of Earth's first land walkers was actually more of a flopper.
-
Killer Mice Gobbling Up Rare Birds
Oversize house mice are consuming millions of endangered Atlantic petrels on the bird's only known breeding area, a new study confirms.
Advertisement
News Blogs
-
The Endangered Waters Beneath Our Feet
A brief tour of America's most tapped aquifers.
-
Mike Fay’s Complete Pitcairn Islands Journal
Throughout the month-long Pristine Seas: Pitcairn Islands Expedition, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Mike Fay clambered, climbed, and careened over some of the most remote terrain on Earth.
-
Departing Nuclear Regulator's Pointed Comments
Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, announced his resignation this week, but he is still speaking out about the need to strengthen regulations to ensure nuclear power plants are safer.
ScienceBlogs Picks
Connect With Nat Geo
Got Something to Share?
Special Ad Section
Great Energy Challenge Blog
Green Living Hot Topics
-
Organic Air Fresheners
Avoid toxic chemicals and create a calming space.
-
Surprising Recyclable Household Items
With a little know-how, you can recycle more than you think.
-
Side Effects of Vegetarianism
Find out how to stay healthy and eat lower on the food chain.
