Mount Shinmoedake in southwestern Japan has erupted again, spewing smoke to a height of 5,500 meters from the crater.



The active volcano in the Kirishima mountain range, which straddles Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, erupted at 4:53 a.m. on Thursday.



Officials of a local meteorological observatory say this is the first time since July 3 that the ash plume was more than 5,000 meters high.



The smoke rose to 4,500 meters at 5:23 a.m.



No ejections of large volcanic rocks or pyroclastic flows have been reported.



The observatory is maintaining an alert level of 3 on Japan's five-level scale, meaning people should not approach the volcano.



Officials are calling on people to be on the alert for volcanic rocks within 3 kilometers from the crater and pyroclastic flows within 2 kilometers.



The officials are also advising them to refrain from unnecessary outings and driving in areas where ash falls are expected.



Local authorities say large quantities of volcanic ash have been confirmed in neighboring municipalities.



An expert says quickly removing ash is important because even a little rainfall could cause sediment disasters.
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Quiz 1:
Where is Mount Shinmoedake located?
A. Hokkaido
B. Southwestern Japan (Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures)
C. Northern Kyushu
D. Okinawa

Quiz 2:
At what time did Mount Shinmoedake erupt on Thursday?
A. 5:53 a.m.
B. 4:53 a.m.
C. 10:23 a.m.
D. 8:37 p.m.

Quiz 3:
What is the current alert level of Mount Shinmoedake on Japan's five-level scale?
A. 1
B. 4
C. 5
D. 3

[Answer block]
Answers:
Quiz 1: B
Quiz 2: B
Quiz 3: D