07 September 2012

Pressure is building in Mr. Fuji's magma chamber


From the science column at Wired (U.K.):
The pressure in Mount Fuji's magma chamber is now higher than it was in 1707, the last time the nearly 4,000-metre-high Japanese volcano erupted, causing volcanologists to speculate that a disaster is imminent.

The new readings, taken by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, reveal that the pressure is at 1.6 megapascals, nearly 16 times the 0.1 megapascals it takes to trigger an eruption.

...warned that a massive eruption within three years would be likely because of several major factors: steam and gases are being emitted from the crater, water eruptions are occurring nearby, massive holes emitting hot natural gases are appearing in the vicinity and finally, the warning sign that pushed the professor to make the announcement, a 34km-long fault was found underneath the volcano. The fault, experts suggested, could indicate a total collapse of the mountainside if there is another significant shift, and it would probably cause a collapse in the event of an eruption, leading to huge mud and landslides. 
Photo: Koichi Kamoshida, Getty Images, via ABC News.

4 comments:

  1. Please keep us posted on "Mister" Fuji's health. It must be abysmal when a vulcanologist is necessary!

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  2. I guess anything can be expected with an active volcano sitting on a triple tectonic plate junction. And it's just 100 km away from Tokyo.

    I got this link from a Japanese friend and I thought I'd pass it on.

    http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/3151/03340/downloads/mt-fuji_e_ltr.pdf

    It shows a model of Mount Fuji and a crossection of the magma chamber, with the older volcanoes that are burried underneath the outer lava layers, Mt. Komitake and Old Fuji. The Mt. Hoei crater from the latest eruption is also shown on one side.

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  3. No way to release the pressure by digging a tunnel and exploding a small nuke on the side least likely for lava/landslides to do damage?

    Lurker111

    ReplyDelete