Akita-Yakeyama Volcano is an active stratovolcano located on Northeast Honshu island, Japan. Recent eruptive activity has occurred on the flank of the volcano in May 1997 and in the summit crater (Karanuma vent) in August 1997. These events indicate that Akita-Yakeyama Volcano has a high potential for future eruptions. In order to better understand the hazards posed by Akita-Yakeyama Volcano, this study focused on the modern explosive activity of Akita-Yakeyama during the last 6000 years. The authors conducted field observations and excavation surveys at outcrops, whole-rock chemical analysis, volcanic glass chemical analysis, and radiocarbon dating for intercalated paleosol layers. As a result, at least nine layers of pyroclastic fall deposits derived from Akita-Yakeyama during the last 6000 years were recognized, ranging from Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) levels of 1 to 2. In chronological order, the major pyroclastic fall deposits consist of AKY8 (45^th to 47^th century BC), AKY7 (10^th to 29^th century BC), AKY6 (2^nd to 8^th century BC), AKY5 (1^st century BC to 2^nd century AD), AKY4 (5^th to 9^th century AD), AKY3 (1678 AD), AKY2 (1892 AD), AKY1 (1951 AD) and 1997 eruption ejecta. The decreasing proportion of juvenile materials in eruptive deposits over the last 6000 years is consistent with a reduced magma contribution. It indicates that the development of the hydrothermal system is likely to play an important role in future eruption scenarios for Akita-Yakeyama Volcano.

Historical materials have revealed that the Hokkaido-Komagatake Volcano erupted in 1640. In this study, we reviewed in detail the historical materials from a period closer to the eruption, which had yet to be investigated. We then evaluated the reliability of the historical materials and tried to interpret their descriptions from a volcanological point of view. As a result, we found descriptions that support the previous understanding of the number of deaths, tsunamis, and volcanic edifice collapses, or provide more detailed information. In contrast, we also found descriptions of the duration of the 1640 eruption, which lasted about one day and night, of the fallout tephra containing charred wood chips suggesting the occurrence of high-temperature phenomena and subsequent buoyant plumes, and of the volcanic activity that continued for a long time after the eruption. Examination of these historical materials revealed a picture of the eruption that could not be understood from the historical materials used in the past. This study demonstrates that investigating the characteristics of historical materials and the reliability of their descriptions and comparing the information obtained from them with volcanological knowledge can be useful in clarifying the phenomena and processes of past volcanic eruptions.

We investigated temporal changes in the peak frequency of harmonic tremors accompanied by eruptions at the Showa crater of the Sakurajima volcano from January 1 to September 30, 2015. The peak frequency characteristics of harmonic tremors at the summit crater of Minamidake from 1982 to 2002 were also compared. We calculated the running spectrum of the harmonic tremors of eruptions at the Showa crater and detected their peak frequency based on the findings of Maryanto et al. (2008) by modifying the parameters. Based on the value of peak frequency and associated temporal changes, we classified harmonic tremors at the Showa crater into the following three types: nearly constant (NC), positive gliding (PG), negative gliding (NG), and others. A sharp transition, with abrupt peak frequency of the harmonic tremor changes over a brief period, was also observed at the Showa crater. Assuming that the fundamental frequency corresponds to changes in the length of the gas pocket, the length of the gas pocket was estimated to change from 110 m to 220 m at the Showa crater. Compared with the features of peak frequencies of harmonic tremors at the summit crater of Minamidake (Maryanto et al., 2008), those at the Showa crater present three differences: 1) Compared with HTB of the summit crater of Minamidake (Maryanto et al., 2008), Depending on the event, NC values had different frequency bands at the Showa crater. HTBs occur several hours after swarms of B-type earthquakes and their peak frequencies remained within a certain range (Maryanto et al., 2008). 2) The increase in f₀ of PG at the Showa crater was smaller than that of HTE at the summit crater of Minamidake. HTEs occur several minutes after an eruption, as well as accompanying remarkably strong eruptions and their peak frequencies showed a gradual increase (Maryanto et al., 2008). 3) NG and sharp transitions were only recognized in harmonic tremors during volcanic activity at the Showa crater.

Leveling surveys were conducted in Jigokudani valley, Tateyama volcano, since 2015. Subsidence was revealed to have started in 2017‒2018 when a new crater was formed at southwestern area of Jigokudani. Subsidence kept until 2020. During the one-year period from September 2020 to September 2021, ground of Jigokudani was revealed to have re-uplifted. We applied five types of deformation sources (Mogi-type spherical, finite spherical, penny-shaped, rectangular tensile fault and prolate spheroid sources) to the detected deformation. Using the grid search method and the weighted least squares method, we searched the optimal combination of the parameters of each model. Based on the c-AIC value, the penny-shaped deformation source was the best model among them. A penny-shaped inflation source with a radius of 375 m was located including southeastern area of Jigokudani valley where violent fumarole activities have been continued. Its depth was 50 m from the surface. The pressure change in the source of +0.8 MPa yields its volume change of +4800 m³. Inflation of the gas chamber beneath Jigokudani valley might have started due to increase in accumulation of volcanic gas/fluid or decrease in fumarolic activity.

The Zenikame-Menagawa tephra (Z-M) has been reported from distal terrestrial settings in the southern Hokkaido, with those erupted from Zenikame volcano, and provides an important stratigraphic marker for paleoenvironmental reconstructions of marine isotope stage 3 (MIS 3). We use both major element (EPMA) and trace element (LA-ICP-MS) analyses on proximal and distal Z-M shards to make the correlations to explosive eruptive events. Proximal stratigraphic succession is divided into deposits of two main eruptive phases with pyroclastic fall (Z-Mpfa) followed by pyroclastic flow (Z-Mpfl). The Z-Mpfl and Z-Mpfl deposits are geochemically distinct and thus their origins can be different. Considering geochemical characteristics of glass shards, the distal Z-M in the Tokachi district, located about 200 km west of the source volcano, can be identified as ash fall deposits associated with the Z-Mpfl eruption.