Shinmoedake, Japan Webcam

Category: Volcano

Shinmoedake is a volcano in Kyūshū, Japan, and a part of the Mount Kirishima cluster of volcanoes. It is believed to have formed between 7,300 and 25,000 years ago.
The 2011 eruptions began on 19 January. On 26 January, at 7:30 AM, increased eruption activity spewed ash over the surrounding area. The ash closed four railroad lines, and some airline service was cancelled due to heavy smoke. It was the largest eruption from Shinmoedake since 1959. On 1 February, an even larger eruption sent smoke up to 2.5 km in the air and threw volcanic bombs up to 1.5 km.

During February 2011, a lava dome formed in Shinmoedake’s crater. On February 17, an evacuation advisory was put in place for the Miyakonojo area for 2,500 people after heavy rains threatened to produce lahars.

On 13 March, the volcano once again erupted two days after the 2011 Sendai Earthquake. Whether the cause of the eruption is related to the earthquake, or whether the initial January eruption and the earthquake shared a common cause is still unknown.

(The webcam map is in Japanese. In the menu on the right, Kirishima is the 7th from the bottom of the list)