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sakura-jima is erupting

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

We returned to Miyakonojo today to the sight of Sakura-jima, Japan's most active volcano, erupting across the sky. Huge clouds of ash were adrift across the sky, with at least the three most recent dark smears leading away from the former island in long sweeping arcs. Ash clouds seem to behave differently from moisture clouds, they rain out their heavier elements for one thing, in dark trailing veils. They also don't seem to spread according to the same rules as moisture clouds and take odd-looking shapes: perhaps it's the relative heat of the ash. The sunset was a livid orange color, I suppose the volcano was contributing to that.

It was quite a sight. Since settling in for the evening, we've had the volano's booms as company.