Lightning flashed on the erupting crater in Japan

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned people to stay away from the active Shinmoedake crater, spraying ashes and hot stones.

Shinmoedake volcano in Kyushu, Japan, erupting into hot rocks, dust and ash rose thousands of meters and volcanic lightning appeared, Newsweek reported on April 6. Shinmoedake occasionally erupted after returning from 10/2017.

"This is a volcanic activity so this is quite normal. As long as people listen to the local authorities, it is not too worrying," said Janine Krippner, a volcanic research specialist at Concord University. She also said that Japan is quite used to handling small eruptions so it can be well prepared for situations like this.

Volcanic lightning.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned people to stay away from the crater. Hot stones fired during eruption are also a dangerous factor."The stones are so hot that they can glow , " Krippner said. During the stronger eruption in 2011, rock from Shinmoedake mountain reached the speed of nearly 140m / s when falling to the ground.

Experts also observed volcanic lightning in this eruption. This is still a mysterious phenomenon because the scientific community has not found the exact cause of volcanic lightning. Satellites can capture lightning images from outer space, helping scientists track new eruptions and the direction of fly ash.

The team also monitored SO ₂ from Shinmoedake volcano. This amount of gas can be up to hundreds of tons per day. The study of volcanic gases helps scientists understand the change of eruption. "It tells us about ghosts about to erupt , " Krippner explained. Ghosts create different gases depending on the depth. Deep ghosts will produce more CO ₂ while in agriculture, there will be more SO ₂ .