The change of Mount Fuji in the Upcoming years

To brief you again on this wonderous landscape, Mt. Fuji was formed by a collision of two tectonic plates; one from the continental land mass and one from the oceanic floor. The result of the collision caused the oceanic plate to go underneath leading to decomposition of the minerals and thus creating an abundant amount of pressure in the form of magma.


According to some new discovery on Volcano-Report.com, there is a possibility that Mount Fuji could erupt again due the high pressure and concentration of magma underneath the surface. There have been reports of new craters being on the eastern part of Mount Fuji in February of 2012.


Courtesy ofVolcano Science Blog.

Also, there have been some instances of earthquakes more frequently in 2012 as well since the tectonic plates of the Pacific plate and North Americann. are colliding inward to another plate due to the continental drift. The illustrations below show the ranking level of size for the earthquakes that have occurred.

 

Courtesy of NY Times

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

With the collision of the plates underneath the oceanic floor, it is possible by the next 100 years, that another mountain could be formed underneath ocean due the pressure of the land continental plate and the ocean continental plate. Evidence has shown that this repetitive events can also lead to the formation of another volcano as well.

Sources
http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/view_news/5496/Mt-Fuji-volcano-Japan-signs-of-volcanic-unrest-reported.html

http://volcanoscience.blogspot.com/2012/02/japans-mt-fuji-may-be-preparing-to.html

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/11/world/asia/maps-of-earthquake-and-tsunami-damage-in-japan.html

Mt. Fuji's Climate of Nature

                                              Mt Fuji's Climate of Nature

According to the Fujisan Network website, the average temperature at Mt. Fuji is almost always below freezing with the average temperature of -7.1 degrees Celsius excluding some parts of summer. The latitudinal belt of Japan is in the Midlatitude region to where the solar radiation of the sun doesn't reach the area as much compared to the Equatorial and tropical regions. With Mt. Fuji, the temperatures get cooler as the altitude increases.

Also, the west winds blow throughout the year at an annual average of 12 meters per second and in August is 7.4 meters per second, which is the most tranquil time of the year for the wind velocity.

The climate at Mt. Fuji fluctuates incredibly due to its high elevation and distance from the sea as well. During the summer time, the average temperature is 7 degrees Celsisus and during the summer, the average temperature is 20 degrees Celsius.

The surrounding area of Mt. Fuji experiences a humid continental climate, with warm, humid summers and icy, snowy winters, much like in Tokyo.

Monthly average temperature at Mt. Fuji's peak and Mishima
            
        Courtesy of Fujisan Network


Kasagumo" just being generated at the peak                 Summer "tsurushigumo" and "kasagumo"

                                                
                                                           Winter "tsurushigumo" and "kasagumo"

The illustrations above show the "Kasagumo" which are clouds formed when crossing above Mt. Fuji and the "tsursuhigumo" are formation of clouds created after crossing Mt. Fuji

Mt. Fuji has a highland climate and it consists of the mountain being utilized as a water storage area and the snow is kept until Spring and the snow gradually melts during the Summer. Rain falls throughout the year but June and early July is the main rainy season. Rainfall is intermittent with sunshine. Typhoons are only likely to occur in September or October but rarely last more than a day.
Mt.Fuji-san Temperature and Precipitation Graph

Mt.Fuji-san, Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefecture (山梨県/静岡県 富士山) Temperature & Precipitation Monthly Averages

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average High Temperature (°C)	-15.4	-15	-11.2	-5.6	-1.1	3.4	7.3	9.1	5.5	-0.6	-6.4	-12.3
Average Low Temperature (°C)	-21.7	-21.8	-18	-12	-6.9	-1.8	2.2	3.4	-0.1	-6.2	-12.3	-18.4

Sources

http://www.fujisan-net.gr.jp/english/4_03.htm

http://www2m.biglobe.ne.jp/%257EZenTech/English/Climate/Japan/Mt-Fujisan.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_climate_change_on_mount_fuji
http://jin.jcic.or.jp/en/travel/mount_fuji/
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/climate.htm
(more info to add to blog)

The Soils of Mt. Fuji

Mount Fuji contains a classification of soil called Andisols which is formed in volcanic ash during an eruption. Andisols consists of a high concentration of clay & volcanic glass materials such as Allophane; which is aluminum silicate clay. Allophane is formed by weathering, and the source of the weathering comes from the high pressue and concentration of heat from the volcanic magma underneath the surface, and plus Allophane is a acidic to neutral pH level of 5-7.
You will find Andisols and other minerals such as Allophane near volcanic areas around the globe.

                                    

                    Courtesy of  http://fuji.frutadetiempo.com/english_fuji_mountain_hut.html

Other minerals that are found in Andisols are Halloysite and Gibbsite. Gibbsite is aluminum hydroxide mineral and Halloysite is a form of basaltic rocks also consisting of aluminum.
The soil isn't rich in vegetation, but it seems the soil is enriched enough to grow plant life.

The link http://www.docstoc.com/docs/35255539/UNIQUE-CLAY-MINERAL-FORMATION-IN-ANDISOLS-DERIVED-FROM-HOLOCENE- presents an article of the research and classification of different clay rock materials in the Andisol soil of Mt. Fuji. The link also demonstrates a graph of the number of hallyosites and Gibbsites found. Hope you enjoy!!

                             

© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species          © John Veevaert





My Sources and Links
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/35255539/UNIQUE-CLAY-MINERAL-FORMATION-IN-ANDISOLS-DERIVED-FROM-HOLOCENE-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allophane
http://webmineral.com/specimens/picshow.php?id=1896&target=Halloysitehttp://www.mindat.org/min-1808.html

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The comment box link is under each blog, feel free to leave your opinion about my pieces!!

Mt Fuji-The Notorious Volcano

Courtesy of Rates To Go traveling website

Mount Fuji is an example of an extrusive volcanic landform which are tall, very steep, and consists of the rock type of basalt, and this type of rock makes up the oceanic crusts according to About.com website. This is unusual because Mount Fuji is specifically a composite volcano or Strato volcano, and the rock mineral that makes up this type of volcano is andesite which is granitic crustal rocks and magma. Also, gases dissolve from andesite rocks during eruptions when it's mixed with the magma From this process, the ash cloud is formed containing the composition of various gases which are extensive and hazardous, and if you do breathe it, you can die from it. Other hazards that can take are tephra fall, pyroclastic flow, etc.

The largest hazards for Mt Fuji are: Tephra and Pyroclastic flows. For the Mt Fuji eruption in 1707, the Tephra which is a lava fragments and gas carried in an ash cloud spreaded mostly to the eastern foot of Mt Fuji which destroyed villages and many inhabitants died from starvation according the documents from the department of Geosystem Sciences from Nihon University. As for the Pyroclastic flows during the eruption in 1707, which are avalanches of hot rock, gas, and ash also took part in the destruction of the villages in the eastern part of Japan.

Mt Fuji was formed by subduction which is the process of two moving tectonic plates converge into each other, this motion causes the lithosphere of one plate to move underneath the other plate. Another effect of subduction, the plate that is underneath is melted due to the pressure. According to the website geocraft.com, the main process of how a volcano is formed is when the oceanic crust collides with the continental crust, and the upper mantle lithosphere of the oceanic crust sinks underneath the continental crust, which then melts into magma.

You can found more information on Mount Fuji and other volcanoes from this weblinks:

http://geology.about.com/od/rocks/ig/igrockindex/rocpicbasalt.htm

http://www.airies.or.jp/publication/ger/pdf/06-2-05.pdf

http://jove.geol.niu.edu/students/mdare/VirtualFieldTrip/Mt_Fuji/MountFujiGeology.html

http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/subduction.html 

http://jove.geol.niu.edu/students/mdare/VirtualFieldTrip/Mt_Fuji/MountFujiGeology.html

Courtesy of Pacifics Island Travel.com

Courtesy of Mount Fuji--Geology

Introduction to my place

          

My name is Jonathan Weyi and I am studying Accounting for my major. I've always wanted to travel and experience new cultures. I do plan to travel later in the year during the summertime to visit family in the Congo in Africa.

I find the geographical landscape of Mt. Fuji amazing. The reason why I selected Mt. Fuji is because my younger brother will be traveling to Japan during the summertime this year to participate in an internship relating to engineering. By him traveling to an intriguing place like Japan, that motivated me to select Mt. Fuji because I hope to take a tour there someday.