Mystery water plume rises from Pacific

[eric myers 2]

Mystery water plume rises from Pacific

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- A mysterious column of water vapor that shot a kilometer (3,300 feet) into the sky from the Pacific Ocean near Iwo Jima was likely caused by an underwater volcanic eruption, and ships should avoid the area, Japanese officials have said.

A coast guard crew flew over the area to try to determine what happened.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said there was no danger of tsunami -- potentially killer waves sometimes caused by undersea seismic activity.

Japanese troops stationed on Iwo Jima on Saturday reported seeing the massive, cloudy column rise from the sea about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of the small island, said Maritime Self-Defense Forces spokesman Hiroshi Shirai.

Iwo Jima is about 1,120 kilometers (700 miles) southeast of Tokyo.

"It's highly likely that it's caused by an eruption of an underwater volcano," coast guard spokesman Shigeyuki Sato said of the strange occurrence. "A similar eruption occurred in the area before."

Officials who flew over the site in a helicopter said the ocean surface appeared red in the area where the column was reported, which could indicate underwater volcanic activity, Shirai said.

Coast Guard aircraft crews on Sunday returned with video images of the vapor plume and surrounding water, Sato said. The survey crew also found gray mud rising from the bottom. It was not immediately known if volcanic gases were being released.

TV footage showed what looked like white smoke billowing into the sky from the brick-red water.

The area is known as Fukutokuoka-no-ba -- where an undersea volcano last erupted in 1986 for three days -- Sato said.

Coast guard aircraft halted their survey after less than two hours due to unspecified safety concerns, but planned to return as early as Monday for further monitoring, Sato said.

The Coast Guard issued an international warning urging vessel to stay away from the area, Sato said.

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