June 26, 2015
Japanese dwelling on how to survive increasing volcanic activities for safer life
Mt. Mimata is one of the most popular points in the Kuju Mountains in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan. Its slopes are covered with pink rhododendrons every spring and colored leaves in autumn, but climbers taking the Chojabaru route from the north catch sight of thick, white smokes rising from fumaroles on a hillside on their way to the top.
The bleak view reminds them that the scenic mountain is amid an ever active volcanic area. The northeastern side of the neighboring mountain is commonly known as Mt. Iwo (Sulfur). Actually, there remain deserted sulfur mine sites in the area.
Japanese are always aware that the archipelago where they live is on a chain of active volcanos. But they have to pay an even more watchful eye than ever to volcanic activities across Japan following a series of major volcanic eruptions in recent years.
A tragic volcano-related accident occurred in September 2014, when Mt. Ontake, located in central Japan, erupted all of a sudden, claiming 55 lives. Of the victims, mostly day trippers, 20 had been fatally hit with falling rocks when they followed trails down the mountain or when they took shelter with a hut. More recently, a volcano on a remote island south of Kyushu, southwestern Japan, erupted in May 2015, forcing all of 120 or so islanders to evacuate to a different island.
Almost 7 percent of volcanos around the world exist in Japan. The series of recent volcano-linked incidents is an indication that many of the volcanos in Japan are entering an active phase, experts say. There occurred vapor explosions on Mt. Iwo in 1995. The explosions sprayed up volcanic ashes on widely scattered areas and left a line of cracks in the sulfur-covered field.
Before climbing to the top of Mt. Mimata, which has a height of 1,745 meters, the one finds a stone shelter on Sugamori Pass. There was a privately run stone-made hut on the pass until 1997. The facility had been operated by a young couple, and "it was filled with many climbers in the high season every year," an old climber recalled. But because the husband died of illness, a land lease for the hut was not extended.A different shelter was built there in 2000, with the outer stone walls of the old facility reused. In front of the new shelter is a bell, to be rung to make its whereabouts known to climbers even when visibility is poor because of volcanic ashes and smokes.
Monitoring devices, placed at points around Mt. Iwo, collect data about volcanic vibrations, land inclinations and other phenomena. The data are sent via a relaying post near a mountain trail for an analysis to a monitoring organization.
Those living on the Japanese Archipelago are favored with the beautiful four seasons, but they are destined to live with hard natural disasters, among them volcanic eruptions, over generations. The March 2011 killer earthquake-triggered tsunami waves damaged northeastern areas of Japan. The mishap has made Japanese more aware of the need for them to be fully prepared for natural disasters.In an effort to survive the increasing seismic and volcanic activities, Japan is trying hard to refine its related analysis technologies and grow as many researchers, including volcanologists, as possible hurriedly.
