JMA reported that shallow volcanic earthquakes at Kuchinoerabujima had been frequent since starting in late June, with most epicenters located near Furudake Crater, and some near Shindake Crater (just N of Furudake). Both the number and magnitude of the volcanic earthquakes increased on 9 June and remained elevated through 19 July; there were 285 events on 13 July, 241 on 14 July, 200 on 15 July, 104 on 16 July, 85 on 17 July, and 72 by 1500 on 18 July. The public was warned to stay 2 km away from Furudake. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-5).

Geological Summary. A group of young stratovolcanoes forms the eastern end of the irregularly shaped island of Kuchinoerabujima in the northern Ryukyu Islands, 15 km W of Yakushima. The Furudake, Shindake, and Noikeyama cones were erupted from south to north, respectively, forming a composite cone with multiple craters. All historical eruptions have occurred from Shindake, although a lava flow from the S flank of Furudake that reached the coast has a very fresh morphology. Frequent explosive eruptions have taken place from Shindake since 1840; the largest of these was in December 1933. Several villages on the 4 x 12 km island are located within a few kilometers of the active crater and have suffered damage from eruptions.

Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)