Weak ash eruptions were observed and explosion sounds were heard by local residents throughout 1994. Heavy ash sometimes fell in a village on the island. Occasional ash emissions occurred in mid-February, with ashfall reported on the 11th. Emissions began again in mid-March, with ash falls on the island on 19 and 27 March. The next month, ash eruptions took place on 3-4 and 30 April. Frequent ash ejections during 8-12 May also caused ashfall on the island; detonations were heard on the 8th. Ash ejections were again observed on 14-21 and 29-30 July, with ashfall on the 15th and 20th. Detonations and ashfall were again reported on 12 August. Ashfall was frequent in September and the second half of October, with larger volumes on 13-14 and 31 October. Ash emission in December was observed at the beginning and end of the month, with ashfall on 1-4 and 31 December; rumbling was heard the night of the 3rd.

Geological Summary. The 8-km-long island of Suwanosejima in the northern Ryukyu Islands consists of an andesitic stratovolcano with two active summit craters. The summit is truncated by a large breached crater extending to the sea on the E flank that was formed by edifice collapse. One of Japan's most frequently active volcanoes, it was in a state of intermittent Strombolian activity from Otake, the NE summit crater, between 1949 and 1996, after which periods of inactivity lengthened. The largest recorded eruption took place in 1813-14, when thick scoria deposits covered residential areas, and the SW crater produced two lava flows that reached the western coast. At the end of the eruption the summit of Otake collapsed, forming a large debris avalanche and creating an open collapse scarp extending to the eastern coast. The island remained uninhabited for about 70 years after the 1813-1814 eruption. Lava flows reached the eastern coast of the island in 1884. Only about 50 people live on the island.

Information Contacts: JMA; Y. Sawada, JMA; D. Shackleford, Fullerton, CA.