Alert level raised for volcano in southwestern Japan

The alert level for a volcano in southwestern Japan was raised Monday amid increasing seismic activity in the area, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.With the level now at 2 on a 5-point scale, people were warned not to approach the crater of Mt. Shimmoe, a 1,421-meter volcano straddling Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures.According to the agency, 22 earthquakes originating directly beneath the crater were observed between noon Sunday and 5 a.m. Monday.The agency warned of potential eruptions and the risk of flying rocks within 2 kilometers of the crater, as well as pyroclastic fl…READ FULL ARTICLE