Eruption in the Pacific Spews Steam

An underwater volcano apparently has erupted near Iwo Jima, spewing a column of steam 3,000 feet into the sky, Japan’s coast guard said Sunday.

A coast guard crew flew over the area to investigate the eruption. Japan’s Meteorological Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami.

Japanese troops stationed on Iwo Jima reported seeing the massive, cloudy column rise from the sea Saturday about 30 miles southeast of the small island, said Maritime Self-Defense Forces spokesman Hiroshi Shirai.

Iwo Jima is about 700 miles southeast of Tokyo.

“It’s highly likely that it’s caused by an eruption of an underwater volcano,” coast guard spokesman Shigeyuki Sato said. “A similar eruption occurred in the area before.”

Officials who flew over the site in a helicopter said the ocean surface appeared red in the area where the column was reported, which could indicate underwater volcanic activity, Shirai said.

Coast guard crews captured video images of the vapor plume and surrounding water, Sato said. The survey crew also found gray mud rising from the bottom. TV footage showed what looked like white smoke billowing into the sky from the brick-red water.

An undersea volcano in the area erupted in 1986 for three days, Sato said.

Coast guard aircraft halted their survey after less than two hours for unspecified safety concerns, but planned to return as early as today for further monitoring, Sato said.

The coast guard issued an international warning urging vessels to stay away from the area, Sato said.