Underwater Fukutoku-Okanoba volcano erupts strongly off Japan (videos and pictures)

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Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 photo, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 video
Fukutoku Okanoba eruption – eruptive plume with lightning on August 13, 2021. Picture: Misoka Fumituki / JMA

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that a submarine eruption occurred at Fukutoku-Okanoba volcano at 06:20 local time on August 13, 2021. The eruption is still ongoing…

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Fukutoku-Okanoba eruption: Plume of steam and gas at 6 km altitude and looking like an umbrella. Picture captured on August 13th by Japan Coast Guards

Satellite images from Himawari confirmed a steam and gas plume drifting in a west-southwest direction.

Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 photo, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 video
Fukutoku Okanoba eruptive plume on 08.13.2021 / 08:20 UTC. Picture via Himawari-8

As shown in the image below, the eruptive plume of white vapor is being hit by lightning bolts caused by the friction of the pyroclasts expelled at high speed.

The plume rose more than 16km in the sky. Many international flights between Japan and the Philippines were canceled due to possible ashfall on August 15, 2021.

Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 photo, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 video
Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption – Volcanic ash advisory 14.08.2021 via VAAC Tokyo

The Sentinel-5P / Tropomi satellite recorded a strong plume of sulfur dioxide 35 km from the volcano at an altitude of 3 km (18.53 DU of SO2).

Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 photo, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 video
Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption – Strong plume of sulfur dioxide on 08.13.2021, 35 km from the volcano and at 3 km altitude. Picture: Tropomi / DLR – BIRA – ESA

Fukutoku-Okanoba is a submarine volcano 5 km NE of the small pyramidal island Minami-iwo-jima in the Japanese Volcano Island chain.

Its summit is just 14 meters (46 feet) below sea level. Its last major eruption was in early February 2010.

Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 photo, Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption august 2021 video
Fukutoku Okanoba submarine eruption – 3D bathymetry survey of the volcano / 1999. Picture: Japan Coast Guard

Roughly 5 kilometers (3 miles) northeast of the island of Minami-Iwo-jima and about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) south of the main Japanese archipelago, Fukutoku-Okanoba occurs in an area where several short-lived volcanoes formed in the twentieth century.

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South Iwo Jima (left) and Fukutoku- Okanoba (right). Picture: Japan Coast Guards

Eruptions and submarine hydrothermal activity often cause water discoloration in the area, and during eruptions, the volcano has built several temporary new islands.

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Fukutoku-Okanoba horshoe structure. Picture via Japan Coast Guard

The first observation of a new island was in 1904-05 when it formed Shin-Iwo-jima (“New Sulfur Island”). Small new islands were also formed during the eruptions in 1914 and 1986. [Earth of Fire, Volcano discovery]

fukutoku okanoba eruption august 2021, fukutoku okanoba eruption august 2021 video, fukutoku okanoba eruption august 2021 photo
Fukutoku-Okanoba eruptive activity on August 15, 2021.

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2 Comments

  1. The fish won’t be happy campers.

    My friend’s brother moved to Japan, got married, and repatriated there. Haven’t seen him since. Personally speaking, I miss the days when America imported quality goods from Japan. Now all we get are crappy redchinesey disposable products. They all suck too.

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