| Aira Caldera | |
|---|---|
| 姶良カルデラ | |
Space radar image of Aira Caldera, with Sakurajima in the bay formed by the caldera. |
|
| Location | |
|
Aira Caldera
|
|
| Geology | |
| Type | Caldera |
| Last eruption | c. 22,000 years ago |
Aira Caldera (ja:姶良カルデラ Aira-Karudera) is a gigantic volcanic caldera in the south of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. The caldera was created by a massive eruption, approximately 22,000 years ago. Eruption of voluminous pyroclastic flows accompanied the formation of the 17 × 23 km-wide Aira caldera. Together with a large pumice fall, these amounted to more than 400 km3 of tephra (VEI 7).
The major city of Kagoshima and the 13,000-year-old Sakurajima volcano lie within the caldera. Sakura-jima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, is a post-caldera cone of the Aira caldera at the northern half of Kagoshima Bay.