Kikai Caldera

Infobox Mountain
Name= Kikai
Photo=
Caption=
Elevation= convert|704|m|ft|abbr=off|lk=off
Location= Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Range=
Prominence =
Coordinates = coord|30.789|N|130.308|E|type:mountain
Topographic

Type= Volcanic caldera
Age=
Last eruption= 2004
First ascent=
Easiest route=nihongo|Kikai Caldera|鬼界カルデラ|Kikai karudera is a massive mostly submerged caldera up to convert|19|km|mi|abbr=off|lk=off in diameter in the Osumi Islands of Kagoshima prefecture, Japan. It is the remains of the ancient eruption of a gigantic volcano.

Kikai Caldera was the source of one of the largest eruptions during the Holocene (10,000 years ago to present). About 6,300 years ago, pyroclastic flows from that eruption reached the coast of southern Kyūshū up to convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on|lk=off away, and ash fell as far as Hokkaidō. It had a VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) rating of 7.

Kikai is still an active volcano. Minor eruptions occur frequently on Iwo-dake, one of the post-caldera subaerial volcanic peaks on Tokara-Iwo-Jima. Tokara-Iwo-Jima is one of three volcanic islands, two of which lie on the caldera rim. The most recent eruptions have occurred in 2004.

Further reading

*cite book |title=Natural Disasters and Cultural Change |chapter=The impact of the Kikai-Akahoya explosive eruptions on human societies |last=Machida |first=Hiroshi |authorlink= |coauthors=Sugiyama, Shinji |editor=Grattan, John; Torrence, Robin (Ed.) |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=0415216966 |pages=313–346

External links

* [http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0802-06= Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program - Kikai]
* [http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_asia/kikai/kikai.html VolcanoWorld - Kikai, Kyūshū, Japan]