WELCOME TO

UNZEN - DECADE VOLCANO
Updated, 1 June 1999

Maintained by Volcano Research Center (VRC), Univ. Tokyo and Shimabara Earthquake and Volcano Observatory (SEVO), Kyushu Univ.

Unzen fulfilled one of the criteria for selection as a Decade Volcano. Dome growth had continued since May 1991 and dome-collapse pyroclastic flows had occurred frequently; total amount of lava erupted reached approximately 0.2 km^3, while around ten thousand pyroclastic flows were counted. Forty-four people, including French and American volcanologists, were killed by pyroclastic flows, and more than 2,000 buildings were destroyed by pyroclastic flows and lahars. Japanese scientists kept closely monitoring Unzen as a candidate for long-lived dome growth. Generation of pyroclastic flows and major deformation of the dome had stopped in February 1995.

The special issue on "Unzen eruption: Magma Ascent and Dome Growth" was published from Elsevier (Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, vol. 89, nos.1-4, 1999) , and other papers continue to be published. Scientific research project at Unzen with drilling into the volcanic body started in April 1999 to understand eruption mechanism and magmatic activity at Unzen and to mitigate volcanic disaster from future eruption, following the 1997 International workshop on Decade Volcano and Scientific Drilling at Shimabara.

Report on Unzen International Workshop
at Shimabara, May 26-29, 1997

Link to Unzen Scientific Drilling Project (USDP)
1999-2005, sponsored by Science and Technology Agency, Japan, and supported by ICDP


Items (13 February 1996)

Previous items (June 1995)



LATEST VIEW OF UNZEN

Eastern view of Unzen Volcano. Dacite dome with an apron of pyroclastic flow deposits had formed near the summit of Mt. Fugen (1,359 m) since May 1991. Mt. Mayuyama with a natural amphitheater facing to the Shimabara City, collapsed in 1792 just after eruption, killing 15,000 people by debris avalanche and tsunami.
Taken on Oct. 13, 1995 by Nagasaki Photo Service

Go to Current eruptions in Japan
Go to Sakurajima Decade Volcano

If you have any comments about this Unzen - Decade Volcano page,
please feel free to e-mail them to: nakada@eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp

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