Selecting Hazardous Volcanoes that May Cause a Widespread Volcanic Ash Disaster to the Korean Peninsula

This study built the volcano Data Base(DB) of 289 active volcanoes around the Korean Peninsula, Japan, China (include Taiwan), and Russia Kamchatka area. Twenty nine more hazardous volcanoes including Baekdusan, Ulleungdo and 27 Japanese volcanoes that can cause a widespread ash-fall on the Korean peninsula by potentially explosive eruption were selected. This selection was based on the presence of volcanic activity, whether or not containing dangerous explosive eruption rock types, distance from Seoul, and volcanoes having Plinian eruption history with volcanic explosivity index (VEI) 4 or more. The results of this study are utilized for screening high-risk volcanoes that may affect the volcanic disaster caused by a widespread fallout ash. By predicting the extent of spread of ash caused by these hazardous volcanic activities and by analyzing the impact on the Korean peninsula, we suggest that it should be used for helping to predict volcanic ash damages and conduct hazards mitigation research as well.