Sakurajima is a volcano that is in southern Kyushu in Japan. It is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet and also one of the volcanoes that have constant activity. The place where it is located has been very active during the past few centuries and is called the Aira caldera volcano complex. It is all across Kagoshima Bay, a body of water that separates Kagoshima city from the volcano by 4.2 kilometers of water. The summit of the volcano is quite close to the city, around 8 kilometers east of Kagoshima. It has a population of half a million people.
First, the Aira caldera was formed over 22,000 years ago due to a Plinian eruption. This eruption caused pyroclastic flows, which are gasses and volcanic matter that move quickly and are incredibly deadly. About 13,000 years ago, a smaller caldera was formed and was called the Wakamiko caldera and became filled with volcanic cones. A vent formed in the Wakamiko caldera and later became known as Sakurajima. The lava in Sakurajima is made of medium-K series andesite-dacite. Andesite is gray or black volcanic rock and dacite lavas form thick or blocky lava flows. Because Sakurajima is a stratovolcano, it has a few peaks which are Kita-dake, Naka-dake, and Minami-dake. Kita-dake is the highest peak and is 1,117 meters tall.
Some of the consequences of Sakurajima are the formation of an island and eruptions that have changed the daily lives of people living near it. The island that was created as a result of Sakurajima is a part of the Osumi Peninsula. Eruptions that occurred in the last fifty years sometimes damage cars and houses. Because Sakurajima is active it is still erupting today, but if a serious eruption happens, the government is prepared and people can evacuate.