Aira caldera

Aira Caldera
姶良カルデラ
Space radar image of Aira Caldera, with Sakurajima in the bay formed by the caldera.
Highest point
Coordinates	31°40′01″N 130°40′01″E / 31.667°N 130.667°E / 31.667; 130.667Coordinates: 31°40′01″N 130°40′01″E / 31.667°N 130.667°E / 31.667; 130.667
Geography
Aira Caldera Kagoshima, Japan
Geology
Mountain type	Caldera Somma volcano
Last eruption	c. 22,000 years ago

Aira Caldera (姶良カルデラ, Aira-Karudera^?) is a gigantic volcanic caldera in the south of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. The caldera was created by a massive eruption, approximately 22,000 years ago. Eruption of voluminous pyroclastic flows accompanied the formation of the 17 × 23 km-wide Aira caldera. Together with a large pumice fall, these amounted to approximately 400 km³ of tephra (VEI 7).

The major city of Kagoshima and the 16,000-year-old Sakurajima volcano lie within the caldera. Sakura-jima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, is a post-caldera cone of the Aira caldera at the northern half of Kagoshima Bay.