Camera filmed with

Volcano spews 2000 m ash cloud into the sky

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

A surveillance camera recorded the moment when the Sakurajima volcano in Japan erupted again at the weekend, spewing a cloud of ash more than two kilometers high into the sky.

A surveillance camera captured the moment when the Sakurajima volcano in Japan erupted again at the weekend, spewing a cloud of ash more than two kilometers high into the sky.

The eruption on Sunday evening at 8.04 pm local time was the 31st explosive eruption of Sakurajima this year, and its increased activity continues.

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

One of Japan's most active volcanoes
Sakurajima is the most active volcano in Japan, known for its frequent and powerful eruptions and a tourist attraction. It is located on the island of Kyushu, in the very south of the Japanese archipelago, and forms a peninsula in the bay of Kagoshima.

Around half a million people live in the city of the same name, which is located around eight kilometers from the volcano. Concrete channels and blockades have been built around Sakurajima to divert the dangerous lahars (mudflows, note) and pyroclastic flows that occur here from time to time.

Japan lies on the western edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a volcanic belt that surrounds the Pacific Ocean on three sides and extends across numerous countries. Around two thirds of all volcanic eruptions and around 90 percent of earthquakes worldwide occur in this area.

High risk potential for local residents
As Sakurajima is one of the so-called explosive subduction zone volcanoes, it poses a considerable potential danger to the residents of Kagoshima. The situation here is reminiscent of Mount Vesuvius in the Gulf of Naples.