5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
[HDS09-P08] Knowledge and Awareness of Mount Ontake Hikers Regarding Volcanic Activity Observations
—An Evaluation Based on a Questionnaire Survey—
Keywords:Eruption warning, Real-time observational data, While hiking
1. Introduction
The 2014 eruption of Mount Ontake resulted in 63 fatalities, highlighting the critical importance of preparedness for sudden volcanic eruptions. Information on volcanic activity and eruption alert levels is crucial for hikers’ evacuation behavior. However, the extent to which hikers understand and utilize such information remains unclear. This study aims to quantitatively clarify the average hiker’s knowledge and awareness of volcanic activity information through a questionnaire survey.
2. Survey Method
The survey was conducted on September 28, 2024, at two locations near the Jigokudani Crater within 1 km: Ohtaki Summit and Kurosawa Crossroads. A total of 263 hikers descending from Kengamine were surveyed. The survey evaluated the recognition of Mount Ontake as a volcano, the status of information gathering on volcanic activity, knowledge of eruption alert levels and designated crater locations, and understanding of observational data.
3. Results and Discussion
(1) Awareness of Mount Ontake as a Volcano and Perception of Eruption Risk
All respondents (100%) recognized that Mount Ontake is a volcano. However, only about 86% of hikers at Kengamine and 81% on the trail considered the possibility of an eruption. Additionally, the proportion of hikers on the trail who “constantly considered” the possibility of an eruption decreased by approximately 5%, suggesting that continuous vigilance among hikers is limited.
(2) Information Gathering on Volcanic Activity
Approximately 73.4% of hikers checked volcanic activity information before their hike, but only 52.9% continued to do so during the hike. This indicates that while hikers verify volcanic information before departure, the number of those who continue monitoring during the hike significantly decreases.
(3) Knowledge of Eruption Alert Levels and Recognition of Designated Crater Locations
About 80.3% of hikers reported that they “knew well” or “somewhat knew” about the eruption alert levels issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Conversely, approximately 19.8% responded that they “barely knew” or “did not know at all.” Furthermore, only 35% of hikers correctly identified the designated crater locations. While awareness of eruption alert levels is relatively high, understanding of spatial information regarding crater locations and overall volcanic risk remains insufficient.
(4) Interest in Real-time Volcanic Activity Information and Understanding of Observational Data
Only about 25% of hikers expressed a desire to know when JMA issues volcanic information, whereas approximately 71% indicated interest in real-time data, such as the frequency of volcanic earthquakes, regardless of JMA alerts. This suggests that hikers are highly interested in real-time indicators of volcanic activity beyond official eruption warnings.
To assess how well general hikers understand volcanic observational data, a test was conducted. When asked to select the correct seismic waveform and tilt data from the time when the eruption alert level was raised to Level 2 on February 23, 2022, only 19% of hikers answered correctly. However, when the daily frequency of volcanic earthquakes was presented in a graphical format, it became apparent that hikers’ awareness of volcanic activity and disaster prevention along the trail improved.
4. Conclusion
The survey revealed that while many hikers are interested in volcanic information and recognize the existence of eruption alert levels, there are challenges such as decreased information retrieval during hikes, insufficient recognition of specific crater locations, and a strong demand for real-time volcanic activity information. In particular, presenting the frequency of volcanic earthquakes in graphical form has the potential to enhance hikers’ risk awareness. Moving forward, it is necessary to establish a system for effectively communicating volcanic information in an easy-to-understand manner.
The 2014 eruption of Mount Ontake resulted in 63 fatalities, highlighting the critical importance of preparedness for sudden volcanic eruptions. Information on volcanic activity and eruption alert levels is crucial for hikers’ evacuation behavior. However, the extent to which hikers understand and utilize such information remains unclear. This study aims to quantitatively clarify the average hiker’s knowledge and awareness of volcanic activity information through a questionnaire survey.
2. Survey Method
The survey was conducted on September 28, 2024, at two locations near the Jigokudani Crater within 1 km: Ohtaki Summit and Kurosawa Crossroads. A total of 263 hikers descending from Kengamine were surveyed. The survey evaluated the recognition of Mount Ontake as a volcano, the status of information gathering on volcanic activity, knowledge of eruption alert levels and designated crater locations, and understanding of observational data.
3. Results and Discussion
(1) Awareness of Mount Ontake as a Volcano and Perception of Eruption Risk
All respondents (100%) recognized that Mount Ontake is a volcano. However, only about 86% of hikers at Kengamine and 81% on the trail considered the possibility of an eruption. Additionally, the proportion of hikers on the trail who “constantly considered” the possibility of an eruption decreased by approximately 5%, suggesting that continuous vigilance among hikers is limited.
(2) Information Gathering on Volcanic Activity
Approximately 73.4% of hikers checked volcanic activity information before their hike, but only 52.9% continued to do so during the hike. This indicates that while hikers verify volcanic information before departure, the number of those who continue monitoring during the hike significantly decreases.
(3) Knowledge of Eruption Alert Levels and Recognition of Designated Crater Locations
About 80.3% of hikers reported that they “knew well” or “somewhat knew” about the eruption alert levels issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Conversely, approximately 19.8% responded that they “barely knew” or “did not know at all.” Furthermore, only 35% of hikers correctly identified the designated crater locations. While awareness of eruption alert levels is relatively high, understanding of spatial information regarding crater locations and overall volcanic risk remains insufficient.
(4) Interest in Real-time Volcanic Activity Information and Understanding of Observational Data
Only about 25% of hikers expressed a desire to know when JMA issues volcanic information, whereas approximately 71% indicated interest in real-time data, such as the frequency of volcanic earthquakes, regardless of JMA alerts. This suggests that hikers are highly interested in real-time indicators of volcanic activity beyond official eruption warnings.
To assess how well general hikers understand volcanic observational data, a test was conducted. When asked to select the correct seismic waveform and tilt data from the time when the eruption alert level was raised to Level 2 on February 23, 2022, only 19% of hikers answered correctly. However, when the daily frequency of volcanic earthquakes was presented in a graphical format, it became apparent that hikers’ awareness of volcanic activity and disaster prevention along the trail improved.
4. Conclusion
The survey revealed that while many hikers are interested in volcanic information and recognize the existence of eruption alert levels, there are challenges such as decreased information retrieval during hikes, insufficient recognition of specific crater locations, and a strong demand for real-time volcanic activity information. In particular, presenting the frequency of volcanic earthquakes in graphical form has the potential to enhance hikers’ risk awareness. Moving forward, it is necessary to establish a system for effectively communicating volcanic information in an easy-to-understand manner.