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    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    • Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
    Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

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    202501202501

    Dispersion, fragmentation, abrasion, and organism attachment of drift pumice from the 2021 Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba eruption in Japan

    Daisuke Ishimura, Reona HiramineDaisuke Ishimura, Reona Hiramine

    Drift pumice, Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba, Izu–Bonin arc, Submarine volcano. Roundness, Kuroshio current, Southwest Islands

    Fig. 1. Dates and locations of washed ashore pumice from the 2021 FOB eruption.

    Fig. 2. Schematic illustration of temporal changes in drift pumice from the 2021 FOB eruption.

    In August 13, 2021, the submarine volcano Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba (FOB) erupted and produced massive drift pumice in the western Pacific Ocean off Japan for the first time in ~ 35 years. Although drift pumice plays a crucial role in the dispersion of marine organisms, it can damage infrastructure and disrupt maritime traffic. However, observational data are limited for investigating the dispersion of drift pumice and its temporal changes. In this study, we present a 1-year record of the mass, size, shape, and attached marine organisms of drift pumice from the 2021 FOB eruption. We found that the mass and size of the drift pumice decreased gradually over time. Their shape became rounded after 2 months on the sea surface. Finally, the number and types of attached organisms increased dramatically after 7 months. Based on the changes in these parameters, we divided the 1-year record into three phases that describe the general processes for the dispersion, fragmentation, and abrasion of drift pumice and the transportation of marine organisms. In particular, the degree of pumice concentration in the raft was found to be important for discussing the change of pumice shape at sea and attachment of marine organisms. An additional floating experiment was performed to clarify the very long-term floating of drift pumice from the FOB eruption. Our large dataset offers new findings and quantitative and reproducible data that supplement previous studies and provide insight into the behavior of drift pumice for use in future numerical simulations and to aid in preparing for hazards related to drift pumice.