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Mt Fuji Volcano | John Seach
Honshu, Japan
35.35 N, 138.73 E
summit elevation 3776 m
Stratovolcano
Mt Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan. The mountain has a base diameter of 50 km. Fuji Volcano consists of three volcanoes: Komitake, Ko-Fuji (Older Fuji Volcano) and the present Fuji (Younger Fuji Volcano). A summit crater is 500 m across and 250 m deep.
More than 200,000 people climb to the top of the mountain every year. There was an increase in seismic activity under Mt Fuji in 2000-01. A new eruption of Mount Fuji may be explosive like the 1707 eruption. A 2004 Japanese government simulation determined that in the worst-case scenario, a major eruption of Fuji would cause ¥2.5 trillion in economic damage.
Mt Fuji is privately owned above the eighth station. Fujisan Hongu Sengentaisha, a Shizuoka-based Shinto shrine, was granted the land in 1609.
The Philippine Tectonic Plate, the Eurasian Plate (or the Amurian Plate), and the North American (or Okhotsk Plate) meet at Mount Fuji.
2011 Earthquake (mag 6.2)
A large, shallow earthquake (mag 6.2) occurred under the SSW flank of Mt Fuji on 15th March 2011.
1707 Eruption
On 26th October 1707 there was a magnitude 8.4 earthquake hit Honshu, Japan. This was followed by several smaller earthquakes around Mt Fuji. An eruption began on 16th December 1707 on the SE flank of the volcano accompanied by pumice fall. After 6 hours the pumice fall changed to scoria fall. On the first day of the eruption, 72 houses and three Buddhist temples were destroyed in the town of Subassiri 10 km from the volcano.
Violent eruptions were recorded between 25-27 December. The eruption ended on 1st January 1708. No pyroclastic flows or lava flows were formed during the eruption.
Tephra from the 1707 eruption fell over the south Kanto plain, Tokyo, and NW Pacific ocean 280 km from the volcano. The total volume erupted over 16 days was 0.68 cubic km of dense rock equivalent.
Further Reading
Aoki, Y., Tsunematsu, K. and Yoshimoto, M., 2019. Recent progress of geophysical and geological studies of Mt. Fuji Volcano, Japan. Earth-Science Reviews, 194, pp.264-282.
Aizawa, K. et al. 2005. Hydrothermal system beneath Mt. Fuji volcano inferred from magnetotellurics and electric self-potential. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 235(1-2), pp.343-355.
Mt Fuji Volcano Eruptions
1707-08, 1700, 1627?, 1560, 1511, 1427?, 1083, 1032, 1017?, 999?, 993?, 952?, 937?, 932, 870, 864-65, 830, 826, 802, 800, 781.