Space Shuttle Photo of Aso caldera.
Space Shuttle Photo of Aso caldera.
Aso volcano has produced more explosive eruptions than any other volcano in the world.
Aso is a caldera about 12 miles (20 km) in diameter. Of the numerous stratovolcanoes and cinder cones inside the caldera only Naka-dake has been active in historic time. The first documented eruption in Japan was at Naka-dake in 553. Since then, Naka-dake (shown above) has erupted 167 times. The most recent eruption ended in 1993. Most eruptions of Naka-dake are small to moderate in size. Most are simple explosions that produce ash or blocks. Aso has not produced lava flows in historic time. Only 8 eruptions have caused fatalities. Most fatalities are tourists on the rim of the cone. Note people sledding and skiing in the foreground. Photograph courtesy of and copyrighted by Paul J. Buklarewicz.
Looking across Aso caldera. One of the numerous cones inside the caldera
is in the foreground. Photograph courtesy of and copyrighted by Paul J.
Buklarewicz.
Aso viewed from the visitors center. Small plume above Aso during a
period of mild Strombolian eruptions, December 30, 1991. Photograph by
Mike Lyvers.
Kuno, H., 1962, Part XI, Japan, Taiwan and Marianas: Catalogue of the active volcanoes of the world including solfatara fields, International Association of Volcanology, Rome, Italy, 332 p.
McClelland, L., Simkin, T., Summers, M., Nielsen, E., and Stein, T.C., 1989, Global Volcanism 1975-1985: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 655 p.
Simkin, T., and Siebert, L., 1994, Volcanoes of the World: Geoscience Press, Tucson, Arizona, 349 p.
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