Abstract
For most major ports in Japan, a business continuity plan (Port-BCP) has been developed to cope with potential functional disorder in port operations caused by natural disasters. The objectives of a Port-BCP are to maintain the minimum vital activities, such as transportation of emergency supplies, and to enable resumption of normal operations within a reasonable period. Existing Port-BCP plans, however, focus only on earthquake and/or tsunami disasters and do not consider volcanic events. This study assessed the impact of predicted pumice fall on Kagoshima Port (Japan) following a supposed large-scale eruption by the adjacent Sakurajima volcano. Numerical simulations were conducted with varying conditions of wind velocity and direction to estimate the volume and mass of pumice deposited in Kagoshima Bay. Based on the results, estimations were performed regarding the work period required to remove the deposited pumice from the navigation areas.
