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Niigata Yake-yama Volcano, Japan

 Niigata Yake-yama Volcano, Japan, Volcano photo


Niigata Yake-yama Volcano, Japan

Niigata-Yake-yama, the flat-topped peak in the center of the photo, is one of several Japanese volcanoes named Yake-yama ("Burning Mountain").

The andesitic lava dome, seen here from the north, is located in Niigata Prefecture, near the Japan Sea.

Yake-yama is a very young volcano that was constructed beginning only 3000-3500 years ago.

Several explosion craters and fissures, which were formed during historical eruptions that date back to the 9th century, cut the summit and flanks of the dome.

Niigata-Yake-yama, one of several Japanese volcanoes named Yake-yama ("Burning Mountain"), is a very young andesitic-to-dacitic lava dome in Niigata prefecture in central Honshu, near the Japan Sea.

The small volcano rises to 2400 m and was constructed on a base of Tertiary mountains 2000 m high beginning about 3100 years ago.

Three major magmatic eruptions took place in historical time, producing pyroclastic flows and surges and lava flows that traveled mainly down the Hayakawa river valley to the north and NW.

The first of these eruptions took place about 1000 years ago (in 887 and possibly 989 AD) and produced the Hayakawa pyroclastic flow, which traveled about 20 km to reach the Japan Sea, and the massive Mae-yama lava flow, which traveled about 6.5 km down the Hayakawa river valley.

The summit lava dome was emplaced during the 1361 eruption, and the last magmatic eruption took place in 1773 AD.

Eruptive activity since 1773 has consisted of relatively minor phreatic explosions from several radial fissures and explosion craters that cut the summit and flanks of the dome.

PHOTO SOURCE: Yukio Hayakawa, 1990 (Gunma University), courtesy of the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, used with permission.


NOTE: The information regarding Volcano on this page is re-published from other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Volcano information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Volcano photos should be addressed to the copyright owner noted below the photo.





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