Explosive eruption at Mt. Sakurajima marks new record+

KAGOSHIMA, Japan, June 20 Kyodo -
An explosive eruption at Mt. Sakurajima in Kagoshima Prefecture on Sunday
afternoon was the 549th this year, a new annual record, the local
meteorological observatory said.
A second explosive eruption occurred later in the day, the 550th this year, it
said.
Given that the volcano has erupted roughly twice as frequently since last year,
the number of explosive eruptions could reach 1,000 this year, according to the
observatory.
The previous annual record of 548 explosive eruptions was recorded last year.
The volcano released around 3 million tons of ash between January and April
alone, more than the roughly 2.35 million tons released in the whole of last
year, the observatory said.
''While there is no ominous sign of a large-scale explosion, volcanic activity
is expected to intensify,'' the observatory said. ''It is advised to watch out
for large rocky ash falling in surrounding areas.''
==Kyodo
2010-06-20 21:31:53