NHK



 

The Japan Meteorological Agency says a submarine volcano, far south of the country's main island of Honshu, has erupted. It issued a volcanic warning for nearby waters.

The agency says a weather observation satellite recorded volcanic material erupting from the Funka Asane area in the Ogasawara Islands at around 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The column rose about 5,500 meters above sea level. An image taken by the satellite shows it billowing northeast over waters.

Eruptions continued afterwards. Volcanic plumes reached 7,000 meters above sea level at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday and 2:20 a.m. on Monday.

The agency says volcanic activity may continue in Funka Asane. It is calling on ships navigating in nearby waters to stay vigilant for falling rocks, floating debris and the rapid spread of volcanic gas and ash.
Funka Asane is situated north of the island of Ioto, also known as Iwojima.

Meteorological agency records show this is the first eruption in Funka Asane since fishing boats observed two or three emissions in the area each year from 1930 to 1945. The agency observed discolored water in the area over roughly 40 years from 1953.

Funka Asane is some 130 kilometers from the Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba submarine volcano, which caused a massive eruption last year.