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Mount Zaō

_ The issue of Mount Zaō is an issue that has captured the attention of academics, scientists, and enthusiasts alike. Mount Zaō has long been the subject of debate and study, and its importance has transcended various disciplines. Over the years, it has been possible to see how Mount Zaō has evolved and adapted to changes in society and technology. In this article, we will explore the roots and contemporary impact of Mount Zaō, as well as possible implications for the future.

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Zaō Mountains
蔵王連峰
The Zaō Mountains as seen from the Shiroishi River, an Abukuma River tributary, at the cherry blossom season
Highest point
Elevation1,841 m (6,040 ft)[1][2]
Listing
Coordinates38°08′38″N 140°26′24″E / 38.144°N 140.44°E / 38.144; 140.44[1]
Geography
Zaō Mountains is located in Tohoku, Japan
Zaō Mountains
Zaō Mountains
Location on Honshu
Zaō Mountains is located in Japan
Zaō Mountains
Zaō Mountains
Zaō Mountains (Japan)
Map
CountryJapan
IslandHonshu
Prefectures
Geology
Mountain typeComplex volcano
Volcanic arcNortheastern Japan Arc
Last eruptionMay 1940[1]

The Zaō Mountains (蔵王連峰, Zaō Renpō), commonly called Mount Zaō, are a complex cluster of stratovolcanoes on the border between Yamagata Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. The central volcano (one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains) includes several lava domes and a tuff cone, Goshiki-dake, which contains a crater lake named "Okama". 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 formed by a volcanic eruption in the 1720s. The lake is 360 metres (1,200 ft) in diameter and 60 m (200 ft) deep, and is one of the main tourist attractions in the area.

One striking feature of Zaō's famous ski resorts are the "frost-covered trees" (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, with the end result being grotesque figure of a tree. The effect of a full forest of such trees gives visitors a ghostly impression, hence they are colloquially known as "snow monsters". Formed under precise precise meteorological and ecological conditions almost unique to northern Japan, the phenomenon is has been decreasing due to climate change.[3]

Rotaria rotatoria[4] and Pinnularia spp.[5] are found in the acidic Okama Lake.[6]

  • Relief Map
    Relief Map
  • A 3D rendering
    A 3D rendering
  • Okama Crater
    Okama Crater
  • Okama Crater
    Okama Crater
  • Snow monsters
    Snow monsters
  • Snow monsters up close
    Snow monsters up close
  • Zaō Ropeway soft rime
    Zaō Ropeway soft rime

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Zaozan ". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  2. ^ "Topographic map of Zao". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  3. ^ "'Nothing else looks like them': Saving Japan's exceptionally rare 'snow monsters'". www.bbc.com. Dec 4, 2025.
  4. ^ Deneke, Rainer (2000). "Review of rotifers and crustaceans in highly acidic environments of pH values ≤ 3". Hydrobiologia. 433 (1–3): 167–172. doi:10.1023/a:1004047510602. S2CID 25056334.
  5. ^ Negoro, K (1940). "A Pinnularia from Okama, an acidotrophic crater lake of volcano Zao". Jpn. J. Limnol. 9 (4): 176–179. doi:10.3739/rikusui.9.176.
  6. ^ Anzai, T (1938). "Limnological observation of Okama, a crater lake of Volcano Zaō". Jpn. J. Limnol. 8 (3–4): 264–272. doi:10.3739/rikusui.8.3-4_264.
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