4.a. case study japan impacts people experience result as a result of volcanic activity

location and background

japan has 110 active volcanoes, some of which are submarine volcanoes off mainland japan. 70% of japans landmass is mountainous and is formed by tectonic and volcanic activity over millions of years. volcanoes are also a massive part of japanese culture, traditional and myth and legend. mount fuji is an important part of this. located in one of the most tectonically active zones in the world- 4 tectonic plates meet and widespread subduction gives rise to intense volcanic activity. eurasian plate from NW/W, north american plate from N, pacific plate from E, philippine plate from S. historical evidence records nearly 1200 volcanic eruptions in japan in the past 2000 years. average frequency of eruptions of different scales in japan suggests that the more explosive the eruption the less variable its frequency. most- 550- at VEI 3, none at VEI 7 or 8. roughly 200 years for frequency of 5 VEI

mount ontake

classic strato-volcano situated 200km west of tokyo on japans largest island, honshu. it rises to 3000m and its summit is often snow covered. mount ontake had been dormant for many centuries until a sequence of eruptions between oct 1979 and april 1980. further eruptions, some of them small phreatic eruptions, followed in 1991 and 2007

reasons people live in tectonically active locations

area popular with climbers and trekkers and was a noted tourist destination with various facilities including a lodge close to summit. also a place of spiritual pilgrimage for many japanese people. provides opportunities for tourism. active volcanoes with low magnitudes but occasionally more explosive events= lava flows become tourist attractions.

offer people a place to live, have employment and raise children. limited economic resources means less choice to occupy an area away from these regions. japan itself is created by volcanic activty; the plate subduction occurring produces vast amounts of molten material which has accumulated to form the archipelagos. slopes of volcanoes attract settlement= fertile soils especially in wet tropical regions. japans agricultural sector uses just 13% of countrys land area but does so very intensively. steep sided slopes of strato-volcanoes have been terraced to allow farming to be practised

geothermal power stations since the 1960s but small scale. however recently geothermal resources have increased. in part a factor in long term strategy to promote renewables. interest and research into geothermal energy was also given a major boost in the aftermath of the 2011 quake. resulting tsunami overwhelmed a nuclear power plant= catastrophic leakage of radiation. one issue japan faces in exploiting geothermal is that nearly 80% of them are located in national parks or protected hot spring locations

eruption and the impacts people experience

27th sept 2014 mount ontake erupted violently (phreatic- steam driven, little warning). at the time the volcano was not under any alerts or warnings although some increase in earthquake activity had been observed. the eruption killed 63 people and large areas surrounding the volcano were affected by ash fall, pyroclastic flows, volcanic bombs and lahars. most casualties were climbers and hikers on the slopes of the volcano. more than 200 survivors made it down the mountain and search and rescue teams were deployed to recover those seriously injured. thick ash caused breathing difficulties, eye irritation and skin problems for survivors. helicopter rescues were complicated by ash clouds and unstable conditions. religious communities were particularly affected because the mountain is a site of spiritual pilgrimage. mountain lodges and tourist facilities were damged or buried by ash. roads were temporarily closed. anxiety and fear between families as they faced prolonged uncertainty because ash and gas delayed body recovery. survivors were affected psychologically with trauma

economic impacts on the country

tourism saw a strong decline as closure of climbing routes and trails. loss of income for local lodges, restaurants, tour operators and transport providers. local economies highly dependent on seasonal tourism were particularly affected leading to reduced employment opportunities. wider- clean up operations required gov funding. cost of large scale search and rescue. temporary closure of nearby airspace affected regional transport. insurance claims for damaged property and lost business. costs associated with monitoring upgrades and hazard reassessment increased public spending

long term economic possibilities- renewed debate about investment into volcanic monitoring systems and improving early warning technology; potential increased spending on disaster preparedness nationwide. impact on japans reputation as a safe hiking and eco tourism destination (short term only). tourism gradually recovered due to effective management and strong safety reputation, limiting long term national impact

environmental impacts on the country

vegetation near summit was buried by ash so were forests. ash altered soil chemistry with short term disruption but long term increased fertility. lahars redistributed volcanic material into river zone so water contamination. however long term the ash can improve fertility and there was natural regeneration of ecosystems. new ecological succession occurs as pioneer species recolonise volcanic deposits

political impacts on the country

japanese prime minister shinzo abe ordered the military to assist with emergency rescue operations. for a while air space in the vicinity of the eruption was closed as a precaution against the possible damaging effects of fine volcanic ash on aircraft jet engines. questions were raised on why there was no warning issued (quick eruption). reviewed the monitoring systems= increased funding for seismic monitoring, gas emissions sensors, hazard mapping. greater gov emphasis on improving early warning systems for unpredictable eruptions. consideration of stricter climbing regulations during periods of minor seismic unrest

overall impacts on the country

occurred only 3 years after 2011 tohoku earthquake and tsunami. reinforced japans vulnerability to multiple tectonic hazards. strengthened focus on disaster resilience and preparedness. being an AC with capacity for strong responses the overall impacts were reduced. death toll was relatively low compared to similar events in LIDCs. monitoring phreatic eruptions is extremely difficult globally so not solely govs fault. short term economic losses were significant locally but limited nationally. overall the event highlighted that even highly developed countries face challenges in predicting sudden volcanic hazards, but strong governance and resources reduce long term impacts