Shikaribetsu Volcanic Group, Volcanic group in Tokachi Subprefecture, Japan.
Shikaribetsu Volcanic Group is a group of ten andesite and dacite lava domes on the south side of Lake Shikaribetsu, in Daisetsuzan National Park, spanning the towns of Shikaoi, Kamishihoro and Shihoro in Hokkaido. The domes include Mount Nishi Nupukaushi, Mount Higashi Nupukaushi, Mount Hakuun, Mount Tenbo and Mount Iwa. The older Nishi Petoutoru and Kita Petoutoru stratovolcanoes lie west of the lake, and pyroclastic flow deposits extend to the south.
The older edifice of the Shikaribetsu volcanic group consists of the stratovolcanoes North Petoutoru and South Petoutoru, active west of the lake, while Naitai-yama belongs to a phase before the older group, in the early Quaternary. The newer group south of Lake Shikaribetsu comprises ten andesite and dacite lava domes; activity began about 300,000 years ago and the latest eruptions are younger than 20,000 years. Growth of the Nishi and Higashi Nupukaushi lava domes dammed the Yanbetsu River, creating Lake Shikaribetsu.
The name Shikaribetsu comes from the Ainu word for the lake the domes surround. The Nupukaushi peaks take their name from the Ainu for "the mountain with a river mouth below". The group lies within Daisetsuzan National Park, and trails on the main domes pass scree slopes where pikas are seen.
The area is accessible by bus from nearby train stations, with designated viewing areas positioned around the lake and main peaks. Summer and early autumn offer the easiest access when mountain conditions are most stable.
The lava domes of Nishi Nupukaushi and Higashi Nupukaushi grew across the Yanbetsu River and dammed it, creating Lake Shikaribetsu. The lake is thus a barrier lake held back by volcanic rock, not a crater lake.
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