A widely shared image supposedly showing Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano erupting with ash and lightning has spread across social media platforms. While official sources confirm recent volcanic eruptions and seismic activity in southern Japan. Our investigation reveals that this viral claim is misleading.
Social Media Posts
Multiple social media users have shared an image of a volcano erupting with the caption “SHINMOEDAKE VOLCANO ERUPTS, SOUTHERN JAPAN ON EDGE.” The image went viral on both Facebook and X, accumulating over 6,000 shares.
Fact Check
Image Analysis
We began fact-checking by using AI image detection tools: Sightengine, Hive Moderation, and Was it AI? . All three AI detection tools indicated this is highly likely an AI-generated image.
The picture shows telltale AI characteristics including unnaturally perfect symmetry, strange lighting patterns, and exaggerated lightning effects that don’t match how real volcanic eruptions typically appear in photographs.
Did Shinmoedake Erupt on July 3, 2025?
According to reliable sources, Shinmoedake volcano had a major eruption on July 3, 2025, at 15:37 local time (06:37 UTC). The eruption produced an ash cloud reaching about 6.7 km (22,000 feet) high, as reported by The Watchers. This height exceeds the 3,000-meter figure, likely because later satellite measurements provided more accurate data than initial estimates.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) raised the volcanic alert level to 3 (meaning entry restrictions) on June 27. This was due to warning signs that included increased volcanic earthquakes, ground deformation, and higher sulfur dioxide emissions (about 4,000 tons per day). These changes followed a smaller eruption on June 22, the volcano’s first activity since 2018, which created an ash plume reaching 500 meters (1,640 feet) high.
On July 2, volcano experts met with government officials and reported significant volcanic gas emissions and ground swelling at Shinmoedake. However, they found no evidence that magma was erupting. The committee determined that the situation didn’t require an emergency response. Shimizu Hiroshi, who leads the committee, explained that while they weren’t seeing magma eruption at that time, they couldn’t rule out the possibility and would continue careful monitoring of the volcano’s activity.
Even though Shinmoedake did erupted on July 3, we found that actual event of Shinmoedake eruptions show ash clouds but lack the surreal drama seen in the viral image.
Conclusion
Although Shinmoedake volcano did erupt on July 3, 2025, the viral image spreading on social media is likely AI-generated. Official sources like Japan’s Meteorological Agency confirmed the eruption, but actual photos of the event look quite different from the dramatic, unrealistic image being shared online.
Title:Viral Image of Shinmoedake Eruption is AI-Generated, Though Volcano Did Erupt
Fact Check By: Cielito WangResult: Misleading
