Mount Usu
Active volcano in Hokkaido, Japan
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Mount Usu (有珠山, Usu-zan[3]) is an active stratovolcano in the Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, Hokkaido, Japan. It has erupted four times since 1900: in 1910 (which created Meiji-shinzan[4]), 1944–45 (which created Shōwa-shinzan), August 7, 1977,[5] and on March 31, 2000. To the north lies Lake Tōya. Mount Usu formed on the southern rim of the caldera containing the lake.
| Mount Usu | |
|---|---|
| 有珠山 Usu-zan | |
Viewed from the SE. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 733 m (2,405 ft)[1][2] |
| Listing | Mountains of Japan |
| Coordinates | 42°32′37″N 140°50′21″E[1] |
| Geography | |
| Parent range | Nasu Volcanic Zone |
| Topo map(s) | Geographical Survey Institute 25,000:1 壮瞥, 50,000:1 虻田 |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Rock types | [2] |
| Volcanic arc | Northeast Japan Arc |
| Last eruption | March 2000 to September 2001[2] |
Mount Usu and Shōwa-shinzan are major tourist attractions in the Shikotsu-Tōya National Park. A rope-way on Mount Usu takes visitors to viewing platforms overlooking Shōwa-shinzan. The 1977 eruption is mentioned in passing in Alan Booth's travelogue, The Roads to Sata. The 2008 G8 Summit was held near Mount Usu at Lake Tōya.[6]
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