Rausudake

Stratovolcano in Japan

Last Eruption: 1800

Key Facts

Elevation

1,660 m (5,446 ft)

Type

Stratovolcano

Location

44.076°, 145.122°

Region

Kuril Volcanic Arc

Rock Type

Andesite / Basaltic Andesite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

Rausudake is an andesitic-to-dacitic stratovolcano with summit lava domes on the Shiretoko Peninsula in NE Hokkaido. The 1660-m-high volcano is located along a ridge 5 km SW of Shiretoko-Iozan volcano, the NE-most Holocene volcano in Hokkaido. Young lava flows descend the NW flank and broad areas along the SE flank, and an older lava flow traveled about 9 km W, reaching the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk along a broad front.

Eruptions produced pumiceous tephras with associated pyroclastic flows about 2200, 1400, and 800 years ago. Recent work has documented a pyroclastic-flow deposit that overlies the 1739 tephra from Tarumai volcano in SW Hokkaido. Stratigraphic relationships place this eruption, the most recent known from Rausudake, between about 1750 and 1850 CE.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Pyroclastic flows
Lava flows
Volcanic bombs and ballistics
Lahars and mudflows

Risk Level

Population at RiskHigh

Infrastructure RiskModerate

Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary

Andesite / Basaltic Andesite

Silica Content

Intermediate (57-63% SiO₂)

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Formed by oceanic plate subduction, typically producing explosive eruptions due to water-rich magmas.

Age & Formation

Epoch

Holocene

Evidence

Eruption Dated

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

Metric	Value	Global Ranking	Significance
Total Recorded Eruptions	Unknown	Low	Moderately active volcano
Maximum VEI	VEI Unknown	Minor	Local impact potential
Recent Activity	226 years ago	Historical	Historically active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)

Real-time seismic monitoring

Geological Survey of Japan

Geochemical monitoring

Global Volcanism Program

International eruption database

Current Status

Normal

No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Nearby Volcanoes in Northwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions

Regional Volcanic Activity

The Northwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

Quick Info

•Smithsonian ID: 285082
•Evidence: Eruption Dated
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

Rausudake, seen here from the SW at Shiretoko Pass, is a small cone in NE Hokkaido. It is located 5 km SW of Shiretoko-Iozan volcano along the crest of the elongated NE-trending ridge forming the Shiretoko Peninsula. Explosive eruptions have taken place several times during the Holocene, including eruptions of pumiceous tephras about 2,200 and 1,500 years ago.

Copyrighted photo by Yoshihiko Goto (Japanese Quaternary Volcanoes database, RIODB, http://riodb02.ibase.aist.go.jp/strata/VOL_JP/EN/index.htm and Geol Surv Japan, AIST, http://www.gsj.jp/).