Skip to main content
  • Article
  • Published:

The 1997 phreatic eruption of Akita-Yakeyama volcano, northeast Japan: Insight into the hydrothermal processes

Abstract

A small-scale steam explosion occurred on Karanuma crater on the summit of Akita-Yakeyama volcano on August 16, 1997 after a dormancy of 46 years. Chemical compositions of the fumarolic gases at the summit and hot spring waters around the volcano were monitored before the eruption.

Obvious changes in the composition and outlet temperatures of the fumarolic gases were not detected, neither before nor after the 1997 eruption. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios of the gas condensates and hot-spring waters at the Yunuma crater indicated that a hydrothermal reservoir, where the fumarolic gases separated from the hot-spring waters at 150°C, existed in a shallow place beneath the crater.

Smectite, kaolinite and pyrophyllite were identified in the clay fraction of the volcanic ejecta. Although pyrophyllite should have been formed at about 1 km beneath the summit, it was not directly derived from the deep zone during the 1997 eruption but had been ejected by previous eruptions. The Cl/S values of the water leachates of the ejecta were about 0.7, which indicated that the volcanic gas which caused the eruption was rich in HCl. However, the fumarolic gases and the water samples collected from the summit area contained little chloride. The source of the water-soluble chloride might be high-temperature magmatic gases that have been estimated as the source of Cl-SO4 type thermal water. Such magmatic gases might have caused the 1997 eruption.

References

  • Banba, M. and Y. Kubota, Geothermal Conceptual Model from the viewpoint of the Thermal History in the North Hachimantai-Yakyama Area, Jinetsu, 34, 1–13, 1997 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, S. and T. K. Mayeda, Variation of 18O content of waters from natural sources, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 4, 213–224, 1953.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giggenbach, W. F., Isotopic shifts in waters from geothermal and volcanic systems along convergent plate boundaries and thier origin, E. P. S. L., 113, 495–510, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, S., H. Ito, and T. Chiba, 16th August 1997 phreatic explosion of Akita-Yakeyama volcano, northeast Japan, J. Geol. Soc. Japan, 103, XXVII–XXVIII, 1997 (in Japanese).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henmi, K. and T. Matsuda, Contributions to Clay Mineralogy, Dedicated to Prof. Toshio Sudo, Tokyo Univ. of Education, edited by K. Henmi, pp. 151–156, 1975 (in Japanese with English abstract).

  • Hirabayashi, J., Change of chemical composition of volcanic gas and volcanic activity, Dr. Thesis, Tokyo Inst. Tech., 190 pp., 1984 (in Japanese).

  • Hirabayashi, J., J. Ossaka, and T. Ozawa, Relationship between volcanic activity and chemical composition of volcanic gases—A case study on the Sakurajima Volcano, Geochem. J., 16, 11–21, 1982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirabayashi, J., T. Ohba, and K. Nogami, Phreatic eruption of Kuju volcano on October 1995 and geochemical investigation, Reports of October 1995 Phreatic Eruption of Kuji Volcano, 63–74, 1996a (in Japanese).

  • Hirabayashi, J., T. Ohba, and K. Nogami, Chemical Composition of Volcanic Gases Associated with the 1991–1992 Activity of Shinmoe-dake, Kirishima, Japan, Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Japan, 41, 263–267, 1996b (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirabayashi, J., T. Ohba, and K. Nogami, Chemical monitoring for the volcanic activity, Abstracts 1999 Japan Earth and planetary Science Joint Meeting, 1999.

  • Iwasaki, I., T. Katsura, T. Tarutani, T. Ozawa, M. Yoshida, B. Iwasaki, M. Hirayama, and M. Kamada, Geochemical studies on Tamagawa Hot Springs, in Geochemistry of the Tamagawa Hot Springs (Dedicated to Prof. Eiichi Minami on his sixtieth birthday), 7–72 pp, 1963.

  • Iwasaki, I., T. Ozawa, M. Yoshida, T. Katsura, B. Iwasaki, and M. Kamada, Differentiation of magmatic emanation, Bull. Tokyo Inst. Tech., 74, 1–57, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  • JMA, National catalogue of the active volcanoes in Japan (2nd edition), 93–96, 1996.

  • Kurosaki, M., J. Ossaka, and T. Matsuda, Clay Minerals in the Volcanic Ejectas from Kusatsu-Shirane Volcano and the Style of Eruption, J. Mineralog. Soc. Japan, 19, 87–91, 1990 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsubaya, O., Nessui no Chikyukagaku, 1991 (in Japanese).

  • Matsubaya, O., H. Etchu, and S. Komuro, Isotopic study of hot springs in Akita prefecture, Rept. Res. Isnt. Underground Resor., Min. Coll., Akita Univ., 48, 11–24, 1983 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsuo, S., M. Kusakabe, H. Chiba, H. Ushiki, J. Ossaka, J. Hirabayashi, T. Abiko, K. Notsu, T. Ozawa, S. Aramaki, K. Sato, T. Hayashi, J. Sato, and N. Fujii, Geochemical Study on Ground Water, Thermal Water and Ash Fall Collected Immediately after the 1977 Eruption of the Usu Volcano, Japan, Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Japan, 22, 201–220, 1977 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Noguchi, K. and H. Kamiya, Prediction of volcanic eruption by measuring the chemical composition and amounts of gases, Bull. Volcanol., 26, 367–378, 1963.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohba, T. and J. Hirabayashi, Handling of Pt catalyst in H2-H2O equilibration method for D/H measurement of water, Geochem. J., 30, 373–377, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ossaka, J., Activity of Volcanoes and Clay Minerals, J. Clay Science Soc. Japan, 22, 127–137, 1982 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ossaka, J. and T. Ozawa, The 1962-ejecta from Mt.Yake, Nagano-Gifu Prefectures, and its mechanism of eruption, Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Japan, 11, 17–29, 1966 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ossaka, J. and T. Ozawa, Study on chemical compositions of volcanic gases and volcanic activity at Sakurajima Volcano, Rep. Joint Ob. Sakurajima Volcano, 62–66, 1975 (in Japanese).

  • Ossaka, J., J. Hirabayashi, T. Ozawa, and K. Kimijima, Monitoring of volcanic gases from Sakurajima and estimation of state of volcanic activity, Rep. 2nd Joint ob. Sakurajima Volcano, 68–80, 1977 (in Japanese).

  • Ossaka, J., T. Ozawa, H. Sakai, and J. Hirabayashi, Geochemical Study on the Volcanic Activity of Kiso-Ontake Volcano, after the 1979 Eruption, Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Japan, 28, 59–74, 1983 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ossaka, J., K. Nogami, and J. Hirabayashi, Water-soluble Components on Volcanic ashes from Tokachi-dake Volcano, Hokkaido, Japan during the 1988–1989 Eruption, Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Japan, 43, 25–31, 1998 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozawa, T., Chemical analysis of volcanic gases: I, Chemical analysis of volcanic gases containing water vapor, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, etc., Geochem. Int., 5, 939–947, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, W. I., Jr., Scavenging of volcanic aerosol by ash: Atmospheric and volcanologic implications, Geology, 5, 621–624, 1977.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, P. S. and R. E. Stoiber, Soluble materials on ash from active Central American volcanoes, Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull, 84, 1031–1042, 1973.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsuya, H., Yakeyama volcano in Akita Pref. and Tamagawa hot spring, Tamagawa OnsenKenkyukai, 130–135, 1954 (in Japanese).

  • Ui, T., M. Yoshimoto, R. Furukawa, Y. Ishizuka, M. Yoshida, N. Miyaji, Y. Katsui, N. Kito, Y. Ganzawa, and K. Nogami, March 1996 Eruption of Hokkaido-Komagatake, Northern Japan, Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Japan, 42, 141–151, 1997 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Varekamp, J. C., J. F. Luhr, and K. L. Prestegaard, The 1982 eruptions of El Chichón volcano (Chiapas, Mexico): Character of the eruptions, ash-fall deposits and gasphase, J. V. G. R., 23, 39–68, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenji Nogami.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nogami, K., Hirabayashi, Ji., Ohba, T. et al. The 1997 phreatic eruption of Akita-Yakeyama volcano, northeast Japan: Insight into the hydrothermal processes. Earth Planet Sp 52, 229–236 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351631

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351631

Keywords