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Japan · Caldera

Sakurajima

Aira

Type
Caldera
Elevation
1117m
Last eruption
2026
Sakurajima
Photo: Takobou at Japanese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Caldera
Country
Japan
Region
Western Pacific / Ryukyu Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1117m
Coordinates
31.577, 130.659
Last eruption
2026
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Caldera
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic andesite

Geological summary

The Aira caldera in the northern half of Kagoshima Bay contains the post-caldera Sakurajima volcano, one of Japan's most active.

Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →

From Wikipedia

Sakurajima is an active stratovolcano, formerly an island and now a peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. It is the most active volcano in Japan.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

53 recordedGlossary

Record summary

Confirmed eruptions
48
Uncertain eruptions
5
Span of confirmed record
8050 BCE (±1000 yrs) – 2026
Largest confirmed eruption
VEI 6 (8050 BCE)
Confirmed eruptions since 1900
12
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
8050 BCE~7714 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 66372 BCE~6037 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 56037 BCE~5701 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?5701 BCE~5365 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?5030 BCE~4694 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?3352 BCE~3016 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 43016 BCE~2681 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 42345 BCE~2010 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1339 BCE~1003 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?668 BCE~332 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?675~1010 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 41346~1681 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 51681~2017 · 29 eruptions · max VEI 48050 BCE5701 BCE3016 BCE668 BCE1681

Detailed timeline

  1. 2017VEI 2Observed
    2017-03-25 – 2026-03-23
    Minamidake summit crater
  2. 1955VEI 3Observed
    1955-10-13 – 2016-08-22
    Minami-dake and east flank (Showa crater)
  3. 1954VEI 1Method not stated
    1954-11-16 – 1954-12-16
    Minami-dake
  4. 1950VEI 1Observed
    1950-06-29 – 1950-09-09
    Minami-dake
  5. 1948VEI 1Observed
    1948-07-27 – 1948-07-27
    East flank of Minami-dake (750 m)
  6. 1946VEI 2Observed
    1946-01-16 – 1946-11-16
    East flank of Minami-dake (750 m)
  7. 1942VEI 1Observed
    1942-07-16 – 1942-07-16
    East flank of Minami-dake (750 m)
  8. 1941VEI 2Observed
    1941-04-28 – 1941-08-26
    East flank of Minami-dake (750 m)
  9. 1940VEI 2Observed
    1940-04-24 – 1940-07-09
    Minami-dake and east flank (750 m)
  10. 1939VEI 2Observed
    1939-10-26 – 1939-11-12
    East flank of Minami-dake (750 m)
  11. 1938VEI 2Observed
    1938-02-25 – 1938-03-31
    Minami-dake
  12. 1935VEI 1Observed
    1935-09-20 – 1935-09-24
    Minami-dake
  13. 1914VEI 4Observed
    1914-01-12 – 1915-05-16
    West, east and SE flanks
  14. 1899VEI 1Method not stated
    1899-09-24 – 1899-09-25
    Minami-dake
  15. 1860VEI 1Observed
    1860-07-02 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  16. 1799VEI 2Observed
    1799-03-27 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  17. 1797VEI 2Observed
    1797 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  18. 1794VEI 2Observed
    1794 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  19. 1792VEI 2Method not stated
    1792 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  20. 1791VEI 2Observed
    1791-09-11 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  21. 1790VEI 2Observed
    1790-07-29 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  22. 1785VEI 2Observed
    1785-11-20 – end unknown
  23. 1783VEI 3Observed
    1783-09-03 – end unknown
  24. 1782VEI 2Observed
    1782-01-18 – end unknown
    NE flank (offshore)
  25. 1779VEI 4Observed
    1779-11-08 – 1781-05
    NE flank, off NE coast, south flank
  26. 1756VEI 2Observed
    1756-09-09 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  27. 1749VEI 2Observed
    1749-09 – end unknown
    Minami-dake summit, west flank?
  28. 1742VEI 2Observed
    1742-04-06 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  29. 1706VEI 2Observed
    1706-01 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  30. 1678VEI 2Observed
    1678-03-01 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  31. 1670VEI 2Method not stated
    1670-06-01 – end unknown
  32. 1642VEI 2Observed
    1642-04-06 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  33. 1478VEI 2Observed
    1478-09-23 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  34. 1471VEI 5Observed
    1471-11-03 – 1476-10-08
    NE and SW flanks, summit crater
  35. 1468VEI 2Observed
    1468 – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  36. 778VEI 0Observed
    778 – end unknown
  37. 766VEI 3Observed
    766-07-20 – end unknown
  38. 764VEI 4Observed
    764-01 – end unknown
    East flank (Nabe-yama)
  39. 716VEI 3Observed
    716 – 718
  40. 712VEI 3Method not stated
    712 – end unknown
  41. 708VEI 3Observed
    708 – end unknown
  42. 650 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    650 BCE – end unknown
    Minami-dake
  43. 1050 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    1050 BCE – end unknown
  44. 2050 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    2050 BCE – end unknown
  45. 2900 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate
    2900 BCE – end unknown
    Kita-dake
  46. 3050 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate
    3050 BCE – end unknown
    Kita-dake
  47. 4800 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    4800 BCE – end unknown
    Kita-dake
  48. 5400 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    5400 BCE – end unknown
    Kita-dake
  49. 5950 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    5950 BCE – end unknown
    Kita-dake
  50. 6050 BCEVEI 5Geological estimate
    6050 BCE – end unknown
    Kita-dake
  51. 6350 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    6350 BCE – end unknown
    Kita-dake
  52. 7750 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    7750 BCE – end unknown
    Kita-dake
  53. 8050 BCE (±1000 yrs)VEI 6Geological estimate
    8050 BCE – end unknown
    Wakamiko Caldera

Nearby volcanoes

External links

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