Volcano Erupting Off The Coast Of Japan Could Cause Tsunami
- 10 years ago
A slowly forming volcanic island is erupting out of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan. Experts say that the eruption could trigger a tsunami if the newly formed lava slopes collapse and fall into the ocean.
A slowly forming volcanic island is erupting out of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan.
Experts say that the eruption could trigger a tsunami if the newly formed lava slopes collapse and fall into the ocean.
The volcano island was first noticed breaching the surface of the ocean last year, and since then it has already overtaken the nearby island of Nishinoshima.
It is now larger than point 5 square miles, and the volcano is still erupting, with craters producing 7 million cubic feet of lava everyday.
Fukashi Maeno, assistant professor of the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo is quoted as saying: "The ideal way to monitor and avoid a natural disaster is to set up a new tsunami and earthquake detection system near the island, but it's impossible for anyone to land on the island in the current situation."
If there is an earthquake, Maeno says 12 million cubic meters of lava falling into the ocean would create a three foot tsunami that can travel faster than a bullet train.
That means the tsunami would only take minutes to reach nearby islands that are populated.
A slowly forming volcanic island is erupting out of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan.
Experts say that the eruption could trigger a tsunami if the newly formed lava slopes collapse and fall into the ocean.
The volcano island was first noticed breaching the surface of the ocean last year, and since then it has already overtaken the nearby island of Nishinoshima.
It is now larger than point 5 square miles, and the volcano is still erupting, with craters producing 7 million cubic feet of lava everyday.
Fukashi Maeno, assistant professor of the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo is quoted as saying: "The ideal way to monitor and avoid a natural disaster is to set up a new tsunami and earthquake detection system near the island, but it's impossible for anyone to land on the island in the current situation."
If there is an earthquake, Maeno says 12 million cubic meters of lava falling into the ocean would create a three foot tsunami that can travel faster than a bullet train.
That means the tsunami would only take minutes to reach nearby islands that are populated.