Volcanic alert level raised for Mt. Aso in Kumamoto, no links to July quake

Japan's weather agency raised the volcanic alert level for Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture to 3 on Friday, prompting entry restrictions to the mountain, despite no clear evidence linking the heightened activity to a recent magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the region on July 28. The Japan Meteorological Agency cited intensifying volcanic tremors observed since Wednesday and a sharp increase in volcanic gas emissions, exceeding 2,000 tons per day according to a field survey on Friday, as the reasons for the upgrade from level 2.

Level 2 previously restricted access around the crater of Mt. Nakadake, one of the five peaks that make up Mt. Aso, which stands at 1,506 meters tall. The agency warned that a possible eruption could impact an area within approximately 2 kilometers of the first crater of Mt. Nakadake, located in the Aso Caldera, one of the world's largest volcanic calderas.

When asked about the possible connection to the July earthquake, an agency official stated, "There is no clear data showing that the quake led to an increase in volcanic activity." The agency emphasized that they will continue to closely monitor the situation. The last confirmed eruption of Mt. Aso occurred in October 2021.