Mount Aso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Aso |
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Aerial image of Mount Aso
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,592 m (5,223 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Location in Kyushu
Location in Kumamoto Prefecture
Location in Japan
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| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Caldera complex |
| Last eruption | 20 October 2021 - Present |
Mount Aso (阿蘇山, Aso-san) is the largest active volcano in Japan. It is also one of the biggest volcanoes in the world! You can find it in Aso Kujū National Park in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu. The highest point of Mount Aso is 1,592 meters (about 5,223 feet) above sea level.
Mount Aso has a very large caldera, which is a huge bowl-shaped hollow formed when a volcano collapses after an eruption. This caldera is about 25 kilometers (16 miles) from north to south and 18 kilometers (11 miles) from east to west. Its edge stretches for about 120 kilometers (75 miles).
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What is Mount Aso Made Of?
The middle part of Mount Aso has five main peaks. People often call them the "Five Mountains of Aso" (阿蘇五岳). These peaks are: Mt. Neko, Mt. Taka, Mt. Naka (also known as Nakadake), Mt. Eboshi, and Mt. Kishima.
The very highest point is the top of Mt. Taka, which is 1,592 meters (5,223 feet) above sea level. The crater of Mt. Naka is an active volcano. It often lets out smoke and sometimes erupts. You can even get close to its west side by road! For the last 70 years, only the northernmost crater (called the first crater) has been active. It has erupted in years like 1974, 1979, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, and most recently in 2021.
The giant Aso Caldera we see today was created by four huge eruptions that happened between 90,000 and 300,000 years ago. This caldera is one of the biggest in the world! Inside it, you'll find cities like Aso, Takamori, and Minamiaso.
The caldera stretches about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from east to west and 25 kilometers (16 miles) from north to south. The rocks around the caldera were formed before these massive eruptions. The ash and rocks from the huge eruption 90,800 years ago were so much that they would fill more than 600 cubic kilometers! That's about the same amount as Mount Fuji! It's believed that the hot ash and gas from this eruption covered half of the island of Kyushu.
History of Mount Aso's Eruptions
The large outer rim of Mount Aso, called the somma, was formed about 300,000 years ago. Four very big eruptions (named Aso 1 to Aso 4) took place between 300,000 and 90,000 years ago. When a lot of hot ash and gas came out of the volcano, the empty space inside caused the ground to collapse, forming the huge caldera.
The fourth eruption (Aso 4) was the largest. Volcanic ash from this eruption covered the entire Kyushu region and even reached Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Mt. Taka, Mt. Naka, Mt. Eboshi, and Mt. Kishima are newer peaks that formed after the fourth big caldera eruption. Mt. Naka is still active today. It's thought that Mt. Neko is even older than the fourth big eruption.
The hardened ash from Aso's eruptions, called welded tuff, was used to build bridges in the area. There are about 320 arched stone bridges in Kumamoto Prefecture. Some famous ones, like the Tsujun-kyo and Reitai-kyo bridges on the Midorikawa River, are important national cultural treasures.
A new eruption at Mount Aso started on October 20, 2021, at 11:43 a.m.
Mount Aso's Climate
Mount Aso is about 1,143 meters (3,750 feet) high. It has a humid continental climate, which means it has warm summers and cold winters. It rains a lot throughout the year, especially in June and July. During these months, more than 500 millimeters (20 inches) of rain can fall!
Template:Mount Aso weatherbox
Visiting Mount Aso
Getting to Mount Aso is an adventure! A cable car system called the Mount Aso Ropeway used to take visitors up the mountain, but it closed in 2016. Now, a shuttle bus takes people to the edge of the crater.
At the bottom of the mountain, you can find places to camp and even go horse riding at Kusasenrigahama.
Since Mount Aso is a volcano, there are many onsen (hot springs) nearby. Two hot springs are located right inside the crater area of Aso Kujū National Park.
Mount Aso in Popular Culture
Mount Aso has appeared in movies and games!
- In Ishirō Honda's kaiju films (movies with giant monsters), Mount Aso is the home of the huge pteranodon creature named Rodan. In the movie Rodan, the creature and its partner die when the volcano erupts.
- Mount Aso was the inspiration for Mt. Chimney in the Pokémon games Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and their remakes.
- In the manga series Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, the final big battle of the Distonian War happens on Mount Aso.
See also
In Spanish: Monte Aso para niños
