The , commonly called Mount Zaō, are a complex cluster of
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and peri ...
es on the border between
Yamagata Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Yamagata Prefecture has a population of 1,079,950 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 9,325 km² (3,600 sq mi). Yamagata Prefecture borders Akita Prefecture to the nor ...
and
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the no ...
in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
. The central volcano of the group includes several
lava dome
In volcanology, a lava dome is a circular mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano. Dome-building eruptions are common, particularly in convergent plate boundary settings. Around 6% of eruptions ...
s and a
tuff cone, Goshiki-dake, which contains a
crater lake named "Okama" (
御釜). Also known as the "Five Color Pond" (
五色沼, ''goshiki numa'') because it changes color depending on the weather, it lies in a
crater
Crater may refer to:
Landforms
* Impact crater, a depression caused by two celestial bodies impacting each other, such as a meteorite hitting a planet
* Explosion crater, a hole formed in the ground produced by an explosion near or below the surf ...
formed by a volcanic eruption in the 1720s. The lake is in diameter and deep, and is one of the main tourist attractions in the area.
One striking feature of Zaō's famous ski resorts is the "snow monsters" (
樹氷, Juhyō) that appear in mid-winter. Strong wind over the nearby lake fling water droplets which freeze against the trees and their branches, until near-horizontal icicles begin to form. Falling snow settles on the ice formations, and the end result is a grotesque figure of a tree. The effect of a full forest of such trees gives visitors a ghostly impression. Zaō is one of the
100 famous mountains in Japan.
''Rotaria rotatoria'' and ''Pinnularia spp.'' are found in the acidic Okama Lake.
See also
*
List of mountains in Japan
The following is a list of the mountains and hills of Japan, ordered by height.
Mountains over 1000 meters
Mountains under 1000 meters
As the generally accepted definition of a mountain (versus a hill) is 1000 m of height and 500 m of pro ...
*
List of volcanoes in Japan
This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Japan. An Orange background indicates a volcano considered active by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Hokkaido
Honshū
Izu Islands
Ogasawara Archipelago
The Ogasawara Archipelag ...
*
Snow country (Japan)
refers to areas in Japan characterized by heavy, long-lasting snowfalls.
The rather poetic can refer to any place with heavy or deep snows and is generally understood as a reference to the Sea of Japan side of Honshū (Japan's main island) and ...
*
Zaō Ropeway
References
External links
*
*
Zaozan- Japan Meteorological Agency
* - Japan Meteorological Agency
- Geological Survey of Japan
Zaozan- Smithsonian Institution: Global Volcanism Program
Mountains of Yamagata Prefecture
Mountains of Miyagi Prefecture
Volcanoes of Honshū
Active volcanoes
Complex volcanoes
Volcanic crater lakes
Volcanoes of Yamagata Prefecture
Volcanoes of Miyagi Prefecture
{{Miyagi-geo-stub