earth science

Hakkōda Mountains

Hakkōda Mountains is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hakkōda Mountains rather than just read about it. In short: The Hakkōda Mountains (八甲田山系, Hakkōda-sankei) are an active volcanic complex in south-central Aomori Prefecture, Japan, in Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Often called Mount Hakkōda (八甲田山, Hakkōda-san) or simply Hakkōda (八甲田), the mountains are collectively listed as one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.

Key takeaways

Hakkōda Mountains belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hakkōda Mountains to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hakkōda Mountains from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Hakkōda Mountains (八甲田山系, Hakkōda-sankei) are an active volcanic complex in south-central Aomori Prefecture, Japan, in Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Often called Mount Hakkōda (八甲田山, Hakkōda-san) or simply Hakkōda (八甲田), the mountains are collectively listed as one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains. Its highest peak, Mount Ōdake, lies 21.3 kilometers (13.2 mi) southeast of central Aomori and 28 kilometers (17 mi) west of central Towada and has an elevation of 1,585 meters (5,200 ft). The Hakkōda Mountains are a part of the Ōu Mountains which make up part of the Northeastern Japan Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The volcanic complex consists of fourteen stratovolcanoes and lava domes arranged into two volcanic groups. The Northern Hakkōda Volcanic Group emerges from the rim of an 8-kilometer-wide (5.0 mi) caldera that dates back to the Pleistocene. The Southern Hakkōda Volcanic Group predates the caldera. The Hakkōda Mountains attract many climbers, skiers, and sightseers. The mountains offer extensive backcountry skiing in the winter and early spring. There is a lift, the Hakkōda Ropeway in the northern Hakkōda Mountains used by visitors year-round and several hiking trails cross the mountains. While the trails do not pose any technical climbing challenges, Hakkōda presents dangers such as volcanic gases, harsh winter weather, and avalanches. The most notable incident in mountains' history was the Hakkōda Mountains disaster, the worst mountaineering accident in modern history.

Geographic setting and description After Mount Iwaki, the Hakkōda Mountains contain the second highest peak in Aomori Prefecture, Mount Ōdake with an elevation of 1,585 meters (5,200 ft). Mount Ōdake can be climbed from Sukayu Onsen in about four hours. Heavy snowfall makes the Hakkōda Mountains a prime destination for backcountry and mountain skiers, and there are two mountain huts for overnight trips. The lower slopes of the mountains are forested interspersed with moorland. Above 1,300 meters (4,300 ft), the Alpine climate zone starts.

The Hakkōda Mountains, along with Lake Towada and the Oirase Valley, make up the northern section of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. The mountains dominate the southern horizon of the city of Aomori. On a clear day they can be seen on a clear day from Hakodate in Hokkaido. Though the Hakkōda Mountains are made up of several mountains they are often collectively called Mount Hakkōda (八甲田山, Hakkōda-san) or simply Hakkōda (八甲田). The name Hakkōda is a geographic description of the mountains and their appearance. The first part of the name Hakkō (八甲) 'eight armor' from eight of the mountains having peaks that resemble helmets. The second part of the name da (田) 'field' refers to the mountains' flat plateaus that are referred to as 神の田圃 (kami no tano) 'field of god'.

List of peaks

The following is a list of peaks and their heights:

Northern Group: Mount Ōdake (大岳, Ō-dake) 1585 m Mount Takada-Ōdake (高田大岳, Takada-Ō-dake) 1559 m Mount Idodake (井戸岳, Ido-dake) 1537 m Mount Akakuradake (赤倉岳, Akakura-dake) 1548 m Mount Kodake (小岳, Ko-dake) 1478 m Mount Iōdake (硫黄岳, Iō-dake) 1360 m Mount Tamoyachidake (田茂萢岳, Tamoyachi-dake) 1324 m Mount Maedake (前嶽, Mae-dake) 1251.7 m Mount Hinadake (雛岳, Hina-dake) 1240.4 m Mount Ishikuradake (石倉岳, Ishikura-dake) 1202 m Southern Group: Kushi Summit (櫛ヶ峯, Kushi-ga-mine) 1516.6 m Includes Mount Kamidake (上岳, Kami-dake) 1516.6 m and Mount Shimodake (下岳, Shimo-dake) 1342 m Mount Norikuradake (乗鞍岳, Norikuradake) 1449.9 m Koma Summit (駒ヶ峯, Koma-ga-mine) 1416.5 m Mount Sarukuradake (猿倉岳, Sarukura-dake) 1353.7 m Mount Yokodake (横岳, Yoko-dake) 1339.6 m Mount Akakuradake (赤倉岳, Akakura-dake) 1297.8 m Mount Minamizawadake (南沢岳, Minamizawa-dake) 1199.0 m Mount Sakasagawadake (逆川岳, Sakasagawa-dake) 1183 m

Wetlands

The Hakkōda Mountains are famous for their high-altitude wetlands:

Sennin Wetland (仙人岱) Kenashi Wetlands (毛無岱) Tamo Wetland (田茂萢) Suiren Pond (睡蓮沼) Tashiro Plateau Wetland (田代平湿原)

Geology

The Hakkōda Mountains are two clusters of stratovolcanoes in the Northeastern Japan Arc that consists of lava flows, debris flows, and pyroclastic ejecta and flows arranged into southern and northern groups. The volcanic peaks are made of non-alkali mafic rock; mostly andesite, dacite, and basalt. Although both groups of mountains formed in the Pleistocene, the southern group is older than the northern group. The southern group is made from rock that is 700,000 to 1,700,000 years old, while the northern group is made from rock that is 13,000 to 700,000 years old along the southwestern rim of an older caldera. Eight eruptive events have occurred in the Northern Hakkōda Volcanic Group since 4,000 BCE, including phreatic and vulcanian eruptions. Four eruptive events occurred at the summit of Ōdake, with another possible eruption at Ōdake. The three most recent eruptions occurred at Jigokunuma on the southwestern foot of Ōdake near Sukayu Onsen during the 13th to 17th centuries.

Modern activity and the current threat

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hakkōda Mountains

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hakkōda Mountains claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hakkōda Mountains before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hakkōda Mountains ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hakkōda Mountains

In research: Hakkōda Mountains appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hakkōda Mountains in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hakkōda Mountains is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Aomori (city), Mountain ranges of Aomori Prefecture, Towada, Aomori, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hakkōda Mountains outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hakkōda Mountains in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hakkōda Mountains means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hakkōda Mountains out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hakkōda Mountains in simple terms?

Why does Hakkōda Mountains matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hakkōda Mountains?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hakkōda Mountains.