SpaceData Releases 'Volcano Simulator' to Support Preparedness for Volcanic Disasters

SpaceData Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Koyo Sato; hereinafter "SpaceData") has released the volcanic eruption and ashfall simulation function "Volcano Simulator" as a new simulator in the resilience domain "Geo-Resilience" of its space AI platform "SpaceBrain."

The "Volcano Simulator" simulates, in chronological order, the progression from eruption onset to ashfall downwind, visibility degradation, and transportation impacts over a 12-hour period following a large-scale eruption. This simulation takes place within a high-fidelity digital twin environment that accurately recreates the real terrain of Sakurajima (Minamidake crater) in Kagoshima Prefecture and the urban area of Kagoshima City. It supports situational awareness sharing, tabletop exercises for disaster management agencies, and public disaster education. The version released today is a demonstration based on hypothetical eruption and ashfall scenarios and does not reflect actual observations or predictions for Sakurajima. Additional features will be rolled out progressively.

Background: The 'Invisibility' of Ashfall Damage in Cities Adjacent to Active Volcanoes

Sakurajima remains one of Japan's most active volcanoes, with the urban area of Kagoshima City located approximately 10 km from its crater. In the event of a large-scale eruption, in addition to hazards near the crater such as volcanic bombs and pyroclastic flows, volcanic ash could fall over a wide area—including the city—depending on wind direction, potentially affecting urban functions including road traffic, air and rail transport, visibility, and lifelines. However, because the extent and thickness of ashfall change constantly with wind and time, sharing a comprehensive understanding of the damage among stakeholders using only text and numerical data is extremely difficult.

SpaceData leverages high-precision digital twins of Earth's environment to transform the progression of volcanic disasters into a format that anyone can "see and understand," thereby supporting situational awareness and shared understanding in disaster prevention and mitigation operations.

The 'Geo-Resilience' Initiative and the New Volcanic Disaster Simulator 'Volcano Simulator'

'Geo-Resilience' is an initiative under the SpaceBrain space AI platform aimed at integrated support—from disaster risk prediction and impact assessment to decision-making support. By simulating and visualizing various disasters within a high-fidelity digital twin environment, it strengthens the resilience of governments, local authorities, and infrastructure operators.

The new 'Volcano Simulator' focuses specifically on volcanic disasters, simulating the entire sequence—from eruption onset and plume development to downwind ashfall and urban impact—within a digital environment. Through high-fidelity 3D visualization, it is designed to allow users to intuitively observe not only numerical data such as alert levels and ash thickness but also the actual process of ash accumulating over a city. In the future, the system will be progressively expanded to include integration with real-time meteorological and volcanic data and advanced ash dispersion forecasting.

Main Features of the Volcano Simulator

※ This demonstration is constructed using 3D globe data from Cesium World Terrain / Imagery, Google Photorealistic 3D Tiles, and aerial photo tiles from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, combined with a hypothetical large-scale eruption scenario.

1. 3D Visualization of Eruptions and Ashfall on a Real-Terrain Digital Twin

On a high-fidelity digital twin integrating satellite imagery, aerial photographs, actual elevation data, and 3D buildings, the simulator realistically renders the eruption column and umbrella (mushroom cloud), volcanic bombs, crater glow, and ash drifting downwind in three dimensions.

2. Chronological Simulation of Eruption Progression from 0 to 12 Hours

Users can switch between five time points—eruption onset, 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, and 12 hours after eruption—using a slider, or play the simulation automatically. At each time point, key indicators such as volcanic alert level, plume height, number of explosions, ash thickness, and visibility are displayed in sync on an on-screen panel.

3. Integrated Display of Ashfall Projections Based on Wind Direction and Disaster Alerts

Based on assumed wind direction and speed (southeast wind), the simulator displays the projected fan-shaped ashfall area extending from the crater toward Kagoshima City using a 5-level heatmap and 3D map zones. The progression of ash thickness can be tracked via graphs. Additionally, it integrates and displays evacuation zones, shelter locations, road closures, flight cancellations, and railway delays.

4. Interactive Simulation: Click to Deposit Ash at Any Location

By clicking any point on the 3D map, users can simulate volcanic ash falling from the ash cloud onto that location, with cumulative ash thickness and affected area calculated in real time. Combined with preset viewpoints—overview, Minamidake crater, Kagoshima City, and Sakurajima Port—this allows users to intuitively understand what would happen if ash fell on their own neighborhood.

Visualizing Ashfall as a 'Personal' Experience

Volcanic disaster information is typically disseminated as numerical and textual data, such as alert levels and ashfall amounts, making it difficult for individual residents to envision the specific impact on their daily lives. The "Volcano Simulator" aims to serve as a communication platform where diverse stakeholders—including crisis managers, disaster officials, educators, and media—can view the same screen and collectively understand "what would happen if an eruption occurred," by realistically simulating ashfall progression over actual cityscapes.

Future Outlook

SpaceData will continue expanding the disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities under the "Geo-Resilience" initiative, starting with the "Volcano Simulator." The company plans to integrate real-time data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, enhance ash dispersion forecasting using advection-diffusion models (which calculate ash spread based on wind and particle size), and incorporate geospatial data such as population, roads, and airports. The goal is to evolve from training and educational use to real-time situational awareness and decision support in actual disaster response, ultimately building a foundation for a disaster-resilient and adaptable society.

About SpaceData Inc.

SpaceData Inc. is a technology startup driven by the vision of "a society where space is accessible to everyone." By merging space and digital technologies, the company creates new industries and social infrastructure. Leveraging digital twin technology that precisely replicates Earth and space environments, SpaceData aims to build digital platforms that support future urban development, disaster resilience, and security. Additionally, the company is developing operational platforms for space robots and space stations to help realize a sustainable space society.

The official SpaceData website features the latest initiatives and announcements in the "NEWS" section.

For more details, visit https://spacedata.jp/news

Company Name: SpaceData Inc. CEO: Koyo Sato Headquarters: Toranomon Hills Business Tower, 1-17-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo Capital: 1.51 billion JPY