- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,050
- 18,903
They showed this on the news yesterday, and TBH, it is unsettling.
Thick, grey mushroom-shaped clouds loom over Tokyo's skyline in a striking scene: the capital shrouded in smog, its busy streets in Shibuya Ward blanketed in ash as pedestrians pick their way through an unfamiliar version of their city. This AI-generated video was released last week by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to highlight the potential impact of a Mount Fuji eruption and convey an appeal for preparation. It marks the first time the city has turned to such technology to illustrate the risks. Experts estimate that if Mount Fuji were to erupt, volcanic ash would begin drifting over Tokyo within one to two hours. Depending on conditions, between two and ten centimetres could pile up in the capital. When the volcano last erupted in 1707, the ash fall continued for two weeks.
The video explains that volcanic ash is made of sharp, fine particles that carry hidden dangers to both health and society. Even though Mount Fuji is roughly 100 kilometres away, winds could easily sweep the ash across to Tokyo, where it would cause widespread disruption. Unlike snow, ash does not simply melt away. It must be cleared, and once wet, it hardens and even conducts electricity, creating further risks.
www.japantimes.co.jp
Thick, grey mushroom-shaped clouds loom over Tokyo's skyline in a striking scene: the capital shrouded in smog, its busy streets in Shibuya Ward blanketed in ash as pedestrians pick their way through an unfamiliar version of their city. This AI-generated video was released last week by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to highlight the potential impact of a Mount Fuji eruption and convey an appeal for preparation. It marks the first time the city has turned to such technology to illustrate the risks. Experts estimate that if Mount Fuji were to erupt, volcanic ash would begin drifting over Tokyo within one to two hours. Depending on conditions, between two and ten centimetres could pile up in the capital. When the volcano last erupted in 1707, the ash fall continued for two weeks.
The video explains that volcanic ash is made of sharp, fine particles that carry hidden dangers to both health and society. Even though Mount Fuji is roughly 100 kilometres away, winds could easily sweep the ash across to Tokyo, where it would cause widespread disruption. Unlike snow, ash does not simply melt away. It must be cleared, and once wet, it hardens and even conducts electricity, creating further risks.
The AI-video, released on Sunday by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Disaster Prevention Division, shows a woman in a bustling street suddenly receiving a warning on her phone informing her the volcano has erupted. "The moment may arrive without any warning," says the narration, before the video cuts to dramatic visuals of large clouds of smoke emitting from Fuji. The video warns that volcanic ash could reach Tokyo within two hours, causing health hazards as well as disruptions on to power supplies, traffic and food distribution.
Tokyo releases AI-generated video of Mount Fuji erupting
With Mount Fuji 100 kilometers away, the video from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to inform Tokyoites about how an eruption could still seriously impact their lives.