Key Facts about Mount Fuji

About Mount Fuji:

• It is the tallest peak in Japan, standing at 3,776 meters.
• It is situated only 100 km west of the Japanese capital city of Tokyo on Honshu Island, near the Pacific Coast.
• Unlike other famous high-elevation mountains in the world, Mt. Fuji is not part of a large mountain range. 
• It is a stratovolcano that has been dormant since its last eruption, in 1707, but is still generally classified as active by geologists.
  • It has a prominent summit crater and is constructed from innumerable basaltic lava flows, each a few meters thick.
  • It has a smooth slope and a wide, spreading base, creating a beautiful skyline as it narrows to a magnificent peak.
  • It is said that the main cause of Mt. Fuji's volcanic activity is the Pacific Plate sinking under the bottom of the Philippine Plate.
• Despite its active volcanic nature, Fuji’s summit is covered in snow most times of the year. 
• The UNESCO designated Mount Fuji a World Heritage site in 2013.

Q1: What is a stratovolcano?

It is a tall, steep and cone-shaped type of volcano. Unlike flat shield volcanoes, they have higher peaks. They are typically found above subduction zones, and they are often part of large volcanically active regions, such as the Ring of Fire that frames much of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises the largest percentage (~60%) of the Earth's individual volcanoes, and most are characterized by eruptions of andesite and dacite, lavas that are cooler and more viscous than basalt.

Source: Second Japan town blocks view of Mount Fuji in battle with problem tourists