1km water vapour column shoots into air over pacific
A 1km (3,300ft) -high column of water vapour shot up from the Pacific Ocean off a tiny Japanese island today, indicating a possible undersea volcanic eruption, a report said.
The water vapour, resembling the steam emitted by a boiling kettle, was seen from the island of Iwo Jima by Japanese troops stationed there, Kyodo News agency said.
The vapour was roughly 50km (30 miles) southeast of the island, and was believed to have been caused by an erupting volcano on the ocean floor, the report said.
Japan’s Coast Guard planned to dispatch aircraft to the area to conduct a survey on Sunday.
The Meteorological Agency said there was no danger of tsunami, potentially killer waves caused by undersea seismic activity or landslides.
Iwo Jima is about 1,120km (700 miles) south-east of Tokyo.
