Mount Fuji may soon erupt again, scientists say
Baku, March 18 (AZERTAC). There are fears that Japan`s highest mountain, Mount Fuji, could be planning a return to its volcanic past. While scientists say it is difficult to predict when, they do agree that Fuji may be nearing a peak in its volcanic cycle, which could mean an eruption, against a background of the recent earthquakes.
Mount Fuji`s impressive peak is possibly one of the most photographed mountains in the world. It holds a special place in the hearts of Japanese people, being the nation`s highest mountain and one of its most recognizable natural attractions.
But Fuji is not a benign lump of granite to be looked at and admired; it`s an active volcano, although it hasn`t erupted in nearly 300 years.
As with many large volcanoes, Fuji is actually the youngest of a number of volcanic systems that have been centered at this location - Komitake, Ko-Fuji (older) and Fuji (younger) - with scores of other vents pockmarking the flanks of the edifice. The oldest deposits in the Fuji complex are over 100,000 years old, but the modern edifice people associate with Fuji likely began growing ~11,000 years ago. The summit is dominated by a 500 meter crater that is almost 250 meters deep.
Mount Fuji is clearly both a beautiful and dangerous volcano. However, there are fears that recent large earthquakes in Japan will cause Fuji to erupt. So far, Fuji has not shown any of the signs of renewed activity, such as harmonic tremors or tornillos, with earthquakes starting deep and becoming shallower with time or increasing volcanic gas emissions - it remains tranquil. This does not mean that we should not keep an eye on Fuji (it definitely has many, many webcams pointed towards it) and be prepared because it is still clearly an active volcano.
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