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Maeno Lab (Volcano Research Center)
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The lab reads the mechanisms and history of volcanic eruptions from erupted materials.
AboutAbout the lab
Reading eruptions from the records in erupted materials.
The Maeno Lab (Volcanic Geology and Materials Lab) studies volcanic eruptions at the Volcano Research Center of the Earthquake Research Institute.
Erupted materials record the entire process, from the formation of magma underground to its eruption at the surface and its accumulation as deposits.
From the structure, texture, shape, and chemical composition of erupted materials, the lab clarifies phenomena such as eruption plumes, pyroclastic flows, and lava flows, as well as the history and hazards of past eruptions.
The lab studies not only volcanoes on land but also eruptions of volcanic islands and submarine volcanoes.
Key terms
- Pyroclastic flow
- A phenomenon in which hot volcanic ash and rock fragments produced by an eruption flow rapidly down a volcano's slope together with gas
- Phenocryst
- A relatively large crystal visible in volcanic rock, formed while the magma was underground
- Groundmass
- The part of a volcanic rock made of fine crystals and glass that fills the space around the phenocrysts
NewsLab news
A doctoral student's paper has been accepted and published in JVGR
A student received the Outstanding Student Presentation Award at the Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2025
ResearchResearch themes
Using geological and materials science information obtained from erupted materials, the lab studies the phenomena that accompany eruptions, the processes that form deposits, and the diversity of eruptions. It also clarifies the history and hazards of past eruptions to deepen the understanding of volcanoes and eruptions.
*Illustrative imageDynamics of surface phenomena in eruptions
In recent eruptions such as those at Kirishima, Nishinoshima, Fukutoku-Okanoba, and Kelud volcano in Indonesia, the lab has combined information from erupted materials with observations of surface phenomena to reconstruct eruption styles and how they changed over time. It also determines the volume and discharge rate of the erupted magma.
*Illustrative imageMagma storage and ascent
The chemical composition and texture of tiny areas within the phenocrysts and groundmass of volcanic rocks record where the magma was stored, and the temperature, pressure, and water content when it ascended. The lab reads these records to reconstruct the movement of magma leading up to an eruption.
*Illustrative imageProgression and impacts of super-large eruptions
The lab studies super-large eruptions that modern society has never experienced, such as the Kikai-Akahoya eruption that occurred in southern Kyushu 7,300 years ago. This eruption is thought to have had a major impact on Jomon culture as well, and the lab investigates open questions such as its precursors through analysis of deposits.
*Illustrative imageLong eruption histories of active volcanoes
The lab also covers eruptions going back tens of thousands of years, which are known only from geological records. It reconstructs eruption processes and magma supply systems and examines the characteristics of long-term activity. For eruptions in the historical period, it also uses records in old documents as clues.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Maeno Lab are faculty, project researchers, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorFukashi MaenoPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorMasataka Kawaguchi
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Shinmoe-dake Volcano Erupts on Kyushu Feb 2011” Robert Simmon / Public domain (cropped)
- Dynamics of surface phenomena in eruptions: “Shinmoedake crater” Motamota / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Magma storage and ascent: “Blue stone” Strekeisen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Progression and impacts of super-large eruptions: “2015 Satsuma-Iojima Iodake” 名古屋太郎 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Long eruption histories of active volcanoes: “Salina tephra” GerritR / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Yamaguchi Lab): “Flexure-chert kyuzo-pass01” KAMUI / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (OFGS (Ocean Floor Geoscience / Okino-Kuroda Lab)): “Louisville seamount chain - bathymetry” World Data Center for Geophysics & Marine Geology (Boulder, CO), National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Mori Lab (Volcanic Fluids / Volcanic Chemistry)): “Mount Aso acid lake seen from helicopter by ET” Wikiwanito / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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