5 days after Sakurajima volcano eruption, sudden 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Hokkaido, Japan, may trigger bigger disaster?

On 27 June, Sakurajima erupted, with thick ash covering the sky and erupting to a spectacular height of 1.5km, spreading the ash in all directions and seriously affecting the lives of residents, especially in terms of travel. Visibility was very low and this led to an increase in traffic accidents.

However, five days later, at 09.59 on 2 July, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Hokkaido, Japan, at a depth of 320 km. The earthquake did not occur in a land area, so there were no direct casualties. However, many coastal residents said they vaguely felt a faint earthquake. The earthquake occurred in the middle of the sea and most immediately would have triggered a tsunami. Japan is an island nation, so after the earthquake, many residents began evacuating the coast to avoid the direct effects of the tsunami and the loss of life.

Open UC Browser to see more great pictures.

It is easy to see that Japan has been hit by several earthquakes this year. Geographically, it is not surprising that Japan has had multiple earthquakes, it is already located on the Pacific Rim seismic belt. According to statistics, an average of four earthquakes occur in Japan every day. The size of earthquakes is generally small, while major earthquakes usually occur once a year. Today, for example, there was an earthquake of magnitude 6 or more. According to media reports, there are 40-50 earthquakes a year in Tokyo, Japan. This shows that earthquakes are more of a rare event in Japan, and Japanese residents are more used to living with frequent earthquakes.

Open UC Browser to see more great pictures.

In addition to its special geographical location, global climate change has also led to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather. Data shows that, compared to the pre-industrial revolution, the average global temperature has risen by 1.11 degrees Celsius as humans have flourished, secondary glaciers have melted ice measured in trillions of tonnes, and sea levels have risen.

Indeed, extreme weather in many parts of the world has directly caused huge economic losses such as severe heat, floods and droughts. Closest to home is the floods in Yingde, where the water level was three storeys high, and the temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius in places such as Xi'an in Shaanxi. These examples of extreme weather that we can relate to also tell us that the consequences of global warming are actually already appearing.

Open UC Browser to see more great pictures.

Now, another voice on the internet suggests that with the frequent earthquakes and tsunamis, especially after the eruption of the Sakurajima volcano in Japan, there is likely to be a bigger disaster in Japan. People believe this argument even more. This is because they link Sakurajima to the Mount Fuji volcano.

Mount Fuji is an active volcano in Japan and is in a dormant state. From the findings of scientists, there is no abnormal activity on Mount Fuji, but these seemingly normal figures still do not reassure residents. This is because volcanic eruptions are unpredictable and instantaneous.

Mount Fuji has not erupted for over 300 years, and the amount of energy that has been built up can be imagined. Once it erupts, it will certainly be more powerful than before, and it will undoubtedly be an extraordinary catastrophe.

Open the UC browser to see more great pictures.

Subconsciously, they believe that Sakurajima and Mount Fuji are connected, but in reality, the two volcanoes are not directly related. They are two separate volcanoes and it is not the first time that Sakurajima has erupted. Sakurajima erupted once on 28 January this year. Sakurajima is an active volcano and has a short eruption cycle, so it erupts every so often, while Mount Fuji is more like a "fortress" that gathers energy and can be activated at any time.

Open the UC browser to see more pictures.

So you can't simply link earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to Mount Fuji, but scientists are constantly monitoring the volcano's data. Although there is no clear news that Mount Fuji will erupt, Japanese officials have already started to make corresponding emergency plans, such as expanding the range of Mount Fuji, purchasing more corresponding emergency supplies, and planning evacuation routes for people. This indicates that Japan is ready for an eruption of Mount Fuji at any time.