On June 7, local time, a gray-black smoke column as high as 1,300 meters soared into the sky above Suwanose Island in the Tukara Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The Mitsugao Volcano erupted several times in a row. The volcanic activity that lasted for more than 30 minutes increased the alert level to level 2. The area around the crater is blocked urgently.
This volcanic island located in the core area of the archipelago is only 27 square kilometers, but it carries the active volcano Yuyue Mountain with an altitude of 799 meters. Its coastline winds 27 kilometers, which is in sharp contrast to the magnificence of the volcano. This eruption is by no means accidental: since 2025, Yuyue Volcano has erupted many times, and on January 5 this year, it erupted twice in a row, with smoke columns as high as 1,100 meters and volcanic stones splashing 300 meters away.
Although Suwanose Island has only about 80 permanent residents, the threat of volcanicity cannot be underestimated. During an eruption in August 2024, the alert was urgently raised to level 3, and residents were once facing the risk of evacuation. After this continued eruption, local governments are on high alert to prevent lava flows or pyroclastic raids.
The Kagoshima volcano erupted a few years ago
Scientists pointed out that the Tugala Islands are located at the junction of the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Express, and geological activities are particularly intense. Monitoring shows that from the beginning of 2025 to the present, the underground magma reservoir of Suwanose Island has continued to expand. Volcanologists try to capture the precursors of the eruption through seismometers and satellite deformation measurements to buy time for evacuation for the island residents.
Volcanic ash envelops the entire island with eruptions. These fine debris are composed of rock minerals that can suffocate crops, block traffic, and contain irritating and toxic gases, especially threatening children and patients with respiratory diseases. After the eruption in January 2023, large areas of dead fish were found in the surrounding waters, and the ecological recovery took several months.
The Yuyue volcano erupts coincide with the active period of the Pacific Rim seismic belt. From the Chilean magnitude 6.5 earthquake to the restlessness of Mount Marong, the movement of the earth's plates is releasing energy accumulation. Experts warn that Japan, Indonesia and other hot flash countries need to strengthen monitoring linkage.
