Lightning and fire: Japan on alert after volcano's biggest eruption in 50 years
A one-mile cordon has been established around a volcano on Mount Kirishima after it erupted scattering rocks and ash across southern Japan and sending smoke billowing 5,000ft into the air.
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 3:59 PM on 27th January 2011
Last updated at 3:59 PM on 27th January 2011
The Meteorological Agency raised the volcanic alert to level 3 as ash today continued to spew from Shinmoedake on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, and residents have been banned from going within a mile of the volcano following its worst eruption in 50 years.
Force of nature: Lightning strikes as Shinmoedake erupts, scattering ash and rocks across a wide swathe of southern Japan
Ash and smoke continued to billow 5,000ft above Shinmoedake today as residents were banned from going within a mile of the volcano
Agency volcanologist Sei Iijima said the eruption did not pose a threat to nearby cities, and a major eruption was not imminent. But he added: 'You can never say never with a volcano, although the lack of magma movement beneath the surface leads us to believe that this activity won't lead to a large-scale eruption,' he told ABC News.
The volcano, one of 20 inside Mount Kirishima, began erupting around 7.30am yesterday morning and by 3pm heavy smoke had risen to nearly 5,000ft, prompting the meteorological agency to raise the alert level.
Volcanic activity is often reported at Kirishima, but this is the largest eruption recorded there since 1959.
Volcanic activity is often reported in the Kirishima range, but Shinmoedake's is the largest eruption since 1959
Under a cloud: A man takes a picture of erupting Shinmoedake from Takaharu, where an evacuation centre has been established
Air space above the mountain remained open today but airlines cancelled a number of domestic flights because of the haze and the buildup of ash on train tracks forced Japan Rail to close several lines. Roads were also shut because of poor visibility.
A small evacuation center was set up overnight in the town of Takaharu, seven miles east of Kirishima, and the town's general affairs manager Yuji Nakashima said: 'People told us their windows were rattling and they heard roaring sounds coming from the mountain.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351064/Japan-raises-alert-following-volcanos-biggest-eruption-50-years.html#ixzz1CZcJAgIB
When I said that 'ball lightning' has little to do with volcanic activity I in fact meant to state that it has little to do with *this* volcanic activity. To my knowledge there is no evidence of 'ball lightning' at this eruption. That said, it is pretty much unexplained and there are a multitude of theories explaining its formation which have little application in a volcanological context.
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@ Alan: "I think that volcano's will start erupting all around the world,along with earthquakes." - I think this is a fair prediction, because that's exactly what they've always done. "This is due to our planet & solar system is entering the center of the galactic plane." - Yeah now see, this is not such a good statement. Because it's plain rubbish. "The lighting that seems to be coming out of the volcano might be a piezoelectricity effect when crystals,like quartz,mica,produce an electrical current when pressure is applied." - The cause of volcanogenic lightning is still much debated, but general consensus seems to be that ash particles become charged somehow (probably due to collision during ejection from the vent) and are then separated in the plume (e.g. due to mass differences). The charge difference in different areas of the plume then results in lightning. "There's also such a thing called Ball Lighting." - Indeed there is, but it has nothing to do with volcanic activity!
I think that volcano's will start erupting all around the world,along with earthquakes.This is due to our planet & solar system is entering the center of the galactic plane.The lighting that seems to be coming out of the volcano might be a piezoelectricity effect when crystals,like quartz,mica,produce an electrical current when pressure is applied.There's also such a thing called Ball Lighting.Since its located on the Pacific Rim,this is not unusual.
Oh....a volcano.....neat. Anyone have change for a $5? I need a Coke real bad...
"This is a small volcano erupting mildly and not even spewing lava." It's not that small. And it most definitely is 'spewing lava'. The chunks of material being ejected from the crater are quite clearly incandescent, even if you have to look at night to see this. Just because they're not molten and glowing bright red doesn't mean they're not 'lava' - they're just a different kind of lava than you see in Hawaii and other effusive eruptions. This group of volcanoes is andesitic, as with many Japanese volcanoes, and the eruption products reflect that. "This volcano will pump out more CO2 in 4 days than everyone on the planet will release in the whole of 2011." No it won't. On average the world's volcanoes put out somewhere around 200 million tonnes of CO2 per year (quoted from the USGS). Annual anthropogenic emissions of CO2 will at a guess be somewhere between 25-30 billion tonnes (26.8 in 2003) (USGS again). Even if my guess is off by a factor of 10, you can work it out...
Oh, no. GLOBAL DISRUPTION! predict this time next year, January 2012, we will see a rise in Global Warming, I mean Climate Change, whoops, I mean GLOBAL DISRUPTION articles and studies. All man-made of course. Eerybody knows Mother Nature doesn't have cash.
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351064/Japan-raises-alert-following-volcanos-biggest-eruption-50-years.html#ixzz1CZecIVSB
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