Mount Unzen Facts For Kids: Explore Japan's Active Volcano
Height, Age, Net Worth, Biography & More
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Unzen is a collection of multiple overlapping active stratovolcanoes.
They are in Shimabara, Nagasaki, in Kyushu, Japan's southernmost major island. It has Kinugasa to the north, Fugen-dake to the east-center, and Kusenbu to the south.
This vast basaltic to andesitic Unzen volcanic complex occupies most of the Shimabara Peninsula to the east of Nagasaki. Fugen-dake, at 4,459 ft (1,359 m), and Heisei Shinzan, at 4,875 ft (1,486 m), are now the tallest volcanic peaks of Unzen volcano.
These volcanoes developed along a graben that ran 19-25 mi (30.6-40.2 km) east-west. Mayu-yama lava-dome complex, historically active vent of Unzen volcano, is roughly 4,000 years old.
From 150,000 years ago to the current times, activity has occurred at a variety of locations surrounding this volcanic complex, resulting in the construction of four main domes at various eras. Unzen initially read 'onsen' in the reminder of hot spring, but it was altered to the present notation when it was classified as one of the national parks.
During the Pacific War, an army radar facility was erected near the peak of Fugen-dake, with roughly 100 personnel stationed there.
In 1792, Mt. Unzen erupted in a catastrophic eruption that killed up to 15,000 people, making it the biggest volcanic catastrophe in Japanese history.
The Japanese government initiated an ambitious initiative in 1999 to drill deep into the sample magma and volcano from the 1990–1995 eruption line.
The project's purpose was to provide light on certain basic puzzles in volcanology, including why magma repeats its journey along the same conduits, despite the fact that magma hardens in them at the conclusion of each eruption.
Another question that needs to be answered is how it loses sufficient gas on its ascent to erupt rapturously rather than explosively.
Mt. Unzen is also a source of Arie River, which flows to the Ariake Sea.
Because of its history of extreme activity and closeness to a densely populated zone, in 1991, the United Nations designated Unzen as a 'Decade Volcano' as part of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.
Mount Unzen Location
Mount Unzen lies on the island of Kyushu, Japan's southernmost major island, near the city of Shimabara, Nagasaki.
It is situated on the outer ring of Chijiwa Caldera, in the west of the peninsula, with Tachibana Bay as its focal point.
There are more than 20 mountains in total, but the intricacy of Unzen-dake's form was conveyed by different numbers (like Mitake Goho or Mimine Godake as '24th peak,' or Yatsuha as '36th peak').
As a consequence, the word was created in a restricted sense, referring to just eight mountains (often three), although historically, it referred to the whole mountain range towering above the sea.
Mt. Fugen, the oldest mountain, is often mistaken with Mount Unzen.
What type of volcano is Mount Unzen?
Unzen is a volcanic massif of many overlapping stratovolcanoes that are still active. Layers of volcanic ash and slabs of cooled lava, granite, and basalt make up the volcano (called tephra). The steep slopes of stratovolcanoes are not particularly powerful. Magma builds up underground, and when the pressure is high enough, an eruption occurs.
Eruptions from stratovolcanoes produce lava and lava tubes. Unzen complex may be traced back to the creation of a graben because of crustal faulting.
This caused portions of the peninsula to sink up to 3,300 ft (1,005.8 m) below sea level, causing eruptive activity to concentrate at a single location inside the graben. Dacitic lava eruptions started somewhat to the south of today's Mt. Unzen and gradually progressed towards the north.
During the first 200,000 years, this volcano developed fast, building a massive cone. Over the next 150,000 years, other eruptions filled up most of the graben.
Mount Unzen Eruptions
In 1792, the collapse of one of the volcano's several lava domes caused a tsunami that killed over 15,000 people, making it Japan's worst-ever volcanic activity.
This volcano's most recent eruptive activity occurred between 1990 and 1995. The most powerful eruption during this time was on June 3, 1991, when a pyroclastic flow of 2.8 mi (4.5 km) from the crater massacred 43 people, including prominent French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft.
Unzen awoke from its 200-year hibernation in 1991 and began extruding a new lava dome at the top.
This large eruption immediately accelerated, and in June, several collapses of the new lava dome resulted in pyroclastic flows that rushed down the slopes at rates of up to 124.3 mph (200 kph).
On June 3, 1991, this famous volcano erupted violently and the biggest flood occurred, killing 43 persons who were taken off guard by the abnormally intense surge.
Things To Do At Mount Unzen National Park
Mount Unzen, Nagasaki's active volcanic complex, is located on the Shimabara Peninsula. It is renowned as Japan's deadliest volcanic disaster due to several extensive eruptions that have occurred over the previous few centuries and have killed countless lives.
In 1934, this mountain and its stunningly gorgeous environs were designated as part of the Unzen Amakusa National Park.
Since then, Unzen has attracted a large number of people who come to enjoy the scenery, hiking trails, onsens, and other attractions of this volcano. Attractions and things to do at Mount Unzen Park are:
Ropeway on Mount Unzen
Hike to the summit of Mount Unzen
Visit Unzen Jigoku
Go to Heisei Shinzan Nature Center
Soak in the onsens (hot springs)
Play a fun little game of golf with your buddies
Visit Shimabara Castle Town
FAQs
Q. How old is Mount Unzen?
A. The region's oldest volcanic deposits date back over six million years, and large eruptions occurred between 0.5 and 2.5 million years ago over the peninsula.
Q. How many people has Mount Unzen killed?
A. Mount Unzen has killed around 15,000 people.
Q. What does Unzen mean in Japanese?
A. The exact meaning of Unzen in Japanese is not known.
Q. How tall is Mt. Unzen?
A. Mt. Unzen is 4,865.5 ft (1,483 m) tall.
Q. What are the crater dimensions of Mount Unzen?
A. Test bores were drilled first to determine the possibility of a deep borehole. Two deep holes were sunk, and cores extracted from these holes were utilized to better understand Unzen's eruptive history. The primary drill started in 2003, commencing on the volcano's northern flank.
Q. What factors caused Mount Unzen to erupt in 1991?
A. Mount Unzen is well known for its deadly and devastating eruption on June 3, 1991. This eruption triggered the world's first large-scale pyroclastic flow, which annihilated 43 people in the evacuation area. This volcano erupted severely on June 3, 1991, presumably because of depressurization of the magma column caused by a landslide in the crater.
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