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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION,SCIENCE AND CULTURE1991 > Part1 Chapter3 3 6

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Part 1 Promotion of Scientific Research
Chapter 3. Trends of Scientific Research in Japan
3 Promotion of Important Basic Research
6 Prediction of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions


Japan is one of the world's most geologically active countries in regard to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and has suffered repeatedly throughout her history from heavy disasters caused by them. Recently, the eruption of Mt.Mihara, Izu-oshima in November 1986 and that of Mt. Unzen, Kyushu in November1990 caused public unrest. It is very important to prevent or minimize the damage resulting from earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Their prediction is now one of the most pressing needs of society. In Japan, therefore, research on the prediction of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are being conducted, comprehensively and systematically, by universities, the Meteorological Agency and other organs con-cerned. These units are acting according to their respective roles and upon the basis of recommendations of the Geodesy Council concerning the prediction plans of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and report these findings to the Minister of Education, Science and Culture and other cabinet ministers concerned.

As for research at universities involving the prediction of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, researchers are aggressively working towards discovering pre-monitory symptoms and constructing predictive methodology and theory on the basis of data collected form observations thus far.

Research activities in this field at universities are summarized as follows:

(1) Prediction of earthquakes

Today, observational research on the prediction of earthquakes is conducted by means of a variety of methods including the observation of micro-earthquakes, the observation of crustal movements by the global positioning system (GPS) with the use of artificial satellites, and so forth, according to the recommendation of the Geodesy Council of July 1988 on the 6th plan (1989-1993) of the prediction of earthquakes. With regard to inland earthquakes, which, even if small in scale, may cause heavy damage, concentrated observational research is conducted in northeastern Japan, in southwestern Japan, and around the Sagami Bay, and observational research by the use of novel technologies and the investigation of active faults are carried out in the National Capital Region.

(2) Prediction of Volcanic Eruptions

Upon the recommendation of the Geodesy Council on the 4th plan (1989-1993) of the prediction of volcanic eruptions, observational research is being carried out through observation of volcanic symptoms including volcanic earthquakes, geomagnetism, volcanic gases, and so on, at active volcanos such as Izuoshima and Sakura-jima. At Mt. Unzen, where eruptions took place after a 200-year interval, concentrated research is being conducted with cooperation between universities concerned centering around Shimabara Volcano Observatory of Kyushu University.


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