Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

A study group set up at the Japan Meteorological Agency's Coordinating Committee for Prediction of Volcanic Eruptions has been reviewing the volcano monitoring system after volcanologists failed to predict the deadly eruption of Mount Ontakesan in central Japan in late September. The group compiled a report on its proposals on Nov. 28.

The three volcanoes sought for inclusion are Mount Hakkodasan in Aomori Prefecture, where volcanic tremors were observed near the summit in 2013; Mount Midagahara between Toyama and Nagano prefectures, where increases in temperatures have been detected near craters, called fumaroles, since 2012; and Mount Towada, straddling Aomori and Akita prefectures, where an increased frequency of volcanic quakes has been observed this year.

The study group also called for enhancing efforts to observe activities that could lead to so-called phreatic eruptions, as in the case of Mount Ontakesan. These less-severe upsurges, which occur when groundwater is heated by magma, are hard to detect in advance, according to volcanologists.

The Meteorological Agency is in the process of requesting funding of an effort related to the proposals.

The group also recommended more equipment be installed as soon as possible in the vicinity of craters, such as cameras to monitor temperature conditions and fumarolic activity, as well as clinometers, which can measure the angle of a mountain slope.

Hiroshi Shimizu, a professor of volcanology at Kyushu University's graduate school who heads the study group, stressed the need for increasing monitoring capabilities.

“Signs of a phreatic eruption are usually limited to locations near craters and are weak,” he said. “We need to conduct a wide range of observations and studies near craters.”

The study group also suggested a team of experts be dispatched swiftly to a site when unusual phenomena are reported, such as a sharp increase in volcanic quakes over a short period of time.

It also emphasized the importance of sharing information on volcanic activity with operators of mountain huts and local officials.

Regarding Mount Ontakesan, the group called for stepping up monitoring efforts to get a better picture of the volcano's condition by installing equipment capable of observing crater activity and analyzing gas components.

The Sept. 27 eruption of Mount Ontakesan, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, left 63 climbers dead or missing, making it the deadliest eruption in postwar years.

The education ministry already decided to add nine volcanoes, including Ontakesan, to its own list of 16 volcanoes that were selected for more rigorous monitoring.