Kikai Caldera
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| Kikai Caldera (鬼界カルデラ,) | |
| Volcanic Caldera | |
| Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| State | Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Region | Ōsumi Islands |
| District | Kagoshima District |
| Municipality | Mishima |
| Parts | Mount Yahazu, Mount Iō (Iōjima), Mount Inamura (Iōjima), Iōjima, Shin Iōjima, Takeshima, Mount Nakasone, Mount Asase, Mount Shitakisone, Iō Tai, Takeshima Tai |
| Highest point | Mount Iō (Iōjima) |
| - location | Iōjima, Ōsumi Islands, Japan |
| - elevation | 704 m (2,310 ft) |
| Lowest point | Deepest point in the caldera |
| - elevation | |
| Length | 17 km (11 mi), NS |
| Width | 20 km (12 mi), EW |
| Period | 6,300 to 95,000 years ago |
| [1] | |
Kikai Caldera (鬼界カルデラ Kikai karudera) is a massive mostly submerged caldera up to 19 kilometres (12 mi) in diameter in the Ōsumi Islands of Kagoshima prefecture, Japan. It is the remains of the ancient eruption of a gigantic volcano.
Kikai Caldera was the source of the Akahoya eruption, one of the largest eruptions during the Holocene (10,000 years ago to present). About 6,300 years ago, pyroclastic flows from that eruption reached the coast of southern Kyūshū up to 100 km (62 mi) away, and ash fell as far as Hokkaidō. The eruption produced about 150 km³ of tephra,[2] giving it a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 7.
Kikai is still an active volcano. Minor eruptions occur frequently on Mount Io (硫黄岳 Iō-dake), one of the post-caldera subaerial volcanic peaks on Iōjima (硫黄島 Iō-jima). Iōjima is one of three volcanic islands, two of which lie on the caldera rim. The most recent eruptions have occurred in 2004.
[edit] Further reading
- Machida, Hiroshi; Sugiyama, Shinji (2002). "The impact of the Kikai-Akahoya explosive eruptions on human societies". in Grattan, John; Torrence, Robin (Ed.). Natural Disasters and Cultural Change. London: Routledge. pp. 313–346. ISBN 0415216966.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- "Kikai". Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0802-06=.
- VolcanoWorld - Kikai, Kyūshū, Japan
- ^ a b "KIKAI Caldera". Quarternary Volcanoes in Japan. Geological Survey of Japan, AIST. 2006. http://riodb02.ibase.aist.go.jp/strata/VOL_JP/EN/vol/11.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- ^ Kikai - Eruptive history, Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.
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