16 years in volcanology-Part 1

I attended the meeting of International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI, 2013) in Kagoshima, Japan. 
One professor gave me photo files with a USB stick. When I opened it, I found a lot of photos in these 15 years. It reminds me of these 16 years since I started my volcanological career.

1997: I firstly joined the meeting of young volcanologist in Japan. It was in Unzen area.
I met Mr. Y, Mr. I, Mr. F, Mr. M, Mr. G, Mr. T etc... whom I met in the meeting this year. I didn't know anything about the volcanology, but they taught me a lot and I enjoyed this meeting. Especially, I was impressed by a guy who had already started the activity of hazard mitigation even though he was a young master student. He had an enthusiasm for hazard mitigation.

1998: This is a year I found my mentor. Prof. Okada was a professor of Hokkaido University and he worked in the Usu Volcano Observatory. I asked him for the internship during summer vacation. He accepted me and I stayed at volcano observatory for 10 days. He took me to many volcanoes in Hokkaido.

1998 Kid's school of Usu volcano

At first, we climbed up to the top of the volcano with kids. They repeat this summer school for an education of hazard mitigation for long years. (Maybe around 20 years) Some famous volcanologists joined this program and it was my honor to join this program.

Steam vent of Hokkaido  Komagatake volcano

We went to Hokkaido  Komagatake, which is located in the Oshima peninsula in Hokkaido. This volcano make really explosive eruptions and there are some steam vents on the summit area. We observed these vents with handy thermal camera. Jun, son of Prof. Okada joined this trip. He was a first year student of the university and I was a third year student at that time. Now, we are both researchers of volcanolgy!

Outcrop of Komagatake

As I was more geologist than geophysicist at that time, Prof. Okada showed me an outcrop of deposits from Komagatake volcano. Even though he has a meeting in Sapporo next day, he decided to stay around volcano in the night. In the next morning, we approached the outcrop. 

Kameiwa of Showa shinzan

Showa Shinzan is a special volcano for me. I read a book about Mr. Masao Mimatsu who observed the eruptive activity when the lava dome of Showa Shinzan is formed. I was moved his passion for observing the eruption and I started to think about becoming a volcanologist. On the day we climbed up to the volcano, we measured temperature of Kameiwa which is a part of volcano where we can detect high emission of heat.

Lava dome of Tarumae volcano

Tarumae volcano is mysterious. Its dome emerged in only two days of 1909. The top of the volcano was covered by cloud for two days and nobody could see how it formed. Lava of this dome is rich in plagioclase. When I saw the rock, I was happy to find a big crystal in it.

It was only 10 days but I felt it was like a month because I learned a lot. A passion for hazard mitigation of Prof. Okada was great!! I am very impressed by him and I thought "I would like to be a volcanologist like him". He tried to make a good relationship with people around the volcano. He talked to people and ask how they were. People know him and talk to him wherever we go.  He was a  "home doctor" of the volcanoes. I am very much impressed. I think this was my starting point. I started to think to be a professional volcanologist after this experience.

In year 2000, I entered graduate school of University of Tokyo for my master's degree.
Just one day before I start my master's degree, Usu volcano started its eruption.

Eruption of Usu volcano in 2000
(reference: http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=867)

I chose University of Tokyo because I wanted to study numerical simulation. If I had chosen Hokkaido University, I could have worked for this eruption. I thought "Oh my god! I made a wrong choice!".

To be continued...