From the Y1,000 bill to the opening title screen for movie studio Shochiku, Mount Fuji is a peak with unparalleled significance to the people of Japan. The source of inspiration for countless works of art and a centerpiece in the nation’s history, it would be hard to separate the image of Japan from its tallest mountain. But scientists say they may have discovered a fault beneath the long dormant volcano that could cause it to collapse if it triggers a high magnitude earthquake.
On Thursday, the Science Ministry reported the possibility of the existence of a 30 km long active fault underneath Mount Fuji in Shizuoka prefecture.
“We’re not certain if it’s an active fault,” said a ministry official. “But there is a possibility…A structural investigation near [the volcano] found a fault. Because there’s a fault there, there’s a chance that it’s moving.”
The ministry did not release any official numbers as to the likelihood of an earthquake occurring in the region with the announcement.
However, researchers at Tokyo University’s Earthquake Research Institute warn there is a possibility of the fault moving and causing a magnitude seven earthquake and the collapse of Mount Fuji, based on evidence suggesting that this may have happened before. “In this region, there is a stratum right above the fault that indicates that Mount Fuji has collapsed before,” explained a ministry official.
“We don’t yet know if the mountain collapsed because of the fault. But the researchers think that there is a chance that that’s what happened, so if the fault moves again, there’s a possibility of another collapse.”
Another scary prospect is the possibility of Mount Fuji erupting. Many, including National Geographic, have been speculating for years as to when the peak could explode and just how much irrevocable damage it could cause. In February, Japanese Weekly News reported a new crater on the eastern side of Mount Fuji, which has caused more people to wonder just how close the volcano is to its next eruption. The last time Mount Fuji erupted was in December of 1707 following a series of earthquakes one to two months earlier.