January 28, 2011 Eruption of Kirishimayama
Kirishimayama in Japan erupted on January 28, 2011 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3.
Where it erupted
Kirishimayama, Japan, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- January 28, 2011
- Volcano
- Kirishimayama, shield volcano
- Country
- Japan
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
- Location
- 31.934° N, 130.862° E
The toll
- Injuries
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Shinmoedake (Shinmoe peak), a stratovolcano of the Kirishima volcano group, erupted for the first time in 52 years on Jan. 27, 2011 according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
On Feb. 1 an eruption smashed more than 180 window panes in hospitals and schools about six kilometers from the crater, injuring a 92 year-old woman.. The eruption was the strongest on February 2, according to the JMA.
The weather agency maintained a level 3 alert for Shinmoedake and Sakurajima volcano, 45 kilometers (28 miles) to the southwest, indicating an eruption may seriously affect places near residential areas.
Other significant eruptions of Kirishimayama
More
Every eruption in 2011The 2000sKirishimayamaEarthquakes near KirishimayamaThis day in weather history
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 5364.