SWF – Stockholm Water Foundation

Hello! I’m Rei Chayamichi. I’m a 17-year-old high school student living in Kagoshima City, Japan. I’m conducting research on the relationship between Sakurajima Volcano and hot springs in Kagoshima City. I\’m excited about the diverse experiences I will gain from interacting with colleagues from around the world at this conference. I hope to apply data on the gas components of hot spring water to volcanic disaster prevention. I also want to explore ways for people, volcanoes, and hot springs to coexist sustainably.

Hot Spring Waters Alert Volcanic Eruptions

Volcanic eruptions can cause not only pyroclastic flows and the ejection of volcanic rocks, but also landslides and tsunamis. Worldwide, more than 1,500 active volcanoes have the potential to produce such hazards, and about one billion people live in at-risk areas. To help reduce the impact of volcanic disasters, we attempted to predict eruptions at Sakurajima Volcano. Before an eruption, changes in volcanic activity can cause gases released from magma to dissolve into nearby groundwater and hot spring water. We therefore investigated whether hot spring water chemistry could be used as an indicator of impending eruptions. We analyzed chemical components related to volcanic gases—CO₂ and SO₂,which can increase when magma intrudes beneath Sakurajima, and HCl and HF, which are expected…

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