Japan’s Sakurajima volcano, after months of calm, exploded at 7 pm Japan time Friday, creating a spectacular eruption against the night sky. No injuries have been reported. Here’s the eruption, slightly sped up, in GIF form:
Friday’s spectacular volcanic eruption in Japan, in one GIF
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Japan’s meteorological agency issued a level 3 warning, telling people to stay away from the volcano. A nuclear plant about 30 miles away is unaffected.
Volcanic eruptions aren’t unusual in Japan, which has more than 100 active volcanoes. And Sakurajima regularly belches ash, fire, and smoke in small eruptions. But since September, its last major eruption, the volcano had been unusually quiet, according to the Associated Press.
The full video shows the scope of the dramatic eruption:
Go deeper:
- A thorough explanation of why Japan has so many earthquakes and volcanoes
- If you want more volcano videos, here’s a fascinating video of volcanoes near Tokyo creating an island in the wake of their eruptions.
- Read more: Your travel guide to Japan on Meridian.net.
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