Monday, July 25, 2016

Eruption of Japan's Sakurajima Volcano



A volcano in Kagoshima erupted early Tuesday morning, with a plume of ash reaching 5,000 meters in elevation. This is the volcano's latest eruption since 2013. Japan's Meteorological Agency rated today's event as a 3 on a 5 point scale:
Kagoshima’s Sakurajima volcano erupts, spews plume 5,000 meters up. The Japan Times Jul 26, 2016 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/26/world/kagoshimas-sakurajima-volcano-erupts-spews-plume-5000-meters/#.V5aVpKKYK5o

The volcano is located not too far from the Sendai nuclear power plant on the island of Kyushu, which had over 1000 earthquakes this spring:
Number of earthquakes exceeds 1,000 in Kumamoto area. THE ASAHI SHIMBUN. April 28, 2016 http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201604280024.html

[Excerpted] More than 1,000 earthquakes with an intensity of at least 1 on the Japanese scale of 7 have hit Kyushu since the seismic activity started on April 14, the Japan Meteorological Agency said April 28....

Here is the location of the volcano that erupted today (first screenshot) and the location of the Sendai NPP (second one):





The erupting volcano and unusual earthquake activity signify geological instability in the immediate vicinity of Japan's only operating nuclear reactor.

The region's new governor is trying to shut down the Sendai reactor:
New governor’s Sendai plant shutdown pledge alarms utility. THE ASAHI SHIMBUN July 12, 2016 at 17:30 http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201607120060.html

Concern is growing among Kyushu Electric Power Co. and the central government over the new Kagoshima governor’s pledge to request a reassessment of the Sendai nuclear plant’s safety in light of the recent Kumamoto quakes.

Satoshi Mitazono, a former political reporter with TV Asahi Corp., was elected on his campaign pledge to build a “society without nuclear energy” in the July 10 gubernatorial race, defeating incumbent Yuichiro Ito.

Mitazono, 58, wants to suspend operations at the plant for a review of its emergency evacuation plan and to re-examine its safety features.
I think now is a very good time to suspend operations!
 

1 comment:

  1. There are only a year to prepare for the violent eruption of a volcano Scientists believe that the estimated period is sufficient for people to take refuge in the safest places possible. invenitmundo.blogspot.com/2016/09/warning-there-are-only-year-to-prepare-for-violent-eruption.html

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