Mayon Lava Flow Grows
Mayon at a ‘high level of unrest’ may experience more dangerous explosions
Mt Mayon Spews Lava. Photo: Reuters. Image may be subject to copyright.
Mayon 5-level hazard alert raised to level 3 Tuesday after Mayon ejected ash and spewed lava.
According to Phivolcs, “Alert level 3 condition signifies magma is near the top of the crater and incandescent materials are now detaching. Mayon volcano is now at a ‘high level of unrest’ and may have more dangerous explosions.”
Quick fact about the latest episode of activity at Mt Mayon:
- Phivolcs Level 3 alert means an eruption is expected within days to weeks [Level 4 means an eruption is imminent, while level 5 means eruption is in progress.]
- Albay Governor Jose Salceda has declared “a state of imminent disaster” throughout the province, to allow the provincial government to access disaster funds needed to evacuate residents in Mayon’s danger zones.
- Phivolcs scientist, Alex Baloloy, said, “a full blown eruption is expected to take place within weeks to days.”
- Baloloy said lava had cascaded down about 3 km from the crater summit of the volcano.
- By Monday Mayon had emitted about 800 tons of Sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas.
- The air in the region has been described as “hot and irritable” and “smelly.”
- After 23 volcanic quakes on Monday, 5 ash explosions occurred at the volcano generating a mix of brownish and grayish ash cloud.
- Phivolcs said it had recorded 78 volcanic earthquakes in the last 24 hours
- Philippines disaster management officials have now evacuated about 50,000 people from Tabaco City and the towns of Malipot, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan and Ligao near Mt Mayon, aiming for a “zero-casualty situation.”
- Schoolrooms within an 8-km radius of Mt Mayon have been suspended and used as evacuation shelters. [Let’s hope the schools are better built in the Philippines than they are in China.]
- Mayon has experienced more than 50 eruption in 400 years.
- The first recorded major eruption occurred in 1616.
- The most voluminous lava flow occurred in the 1766 eruption.
- Mayon’s most destructive eruption occurred on February 1, 1814. The volcano bombarded the town of Cagsa with tephra, burying all but the bell tower of the town’s church in about 9 m of ash. As many as 2,300 of Albay residents may have perished in the volcano’s deadliest eruption to date.
- Mayon erupted continuously for 7 days starting June 23, 1897. The village of Bacacay was buried in 15 m of lava. About 500 villagers were killed in the aftermath.
- In July, Fire Earth moderators said, “the Philippines should brace itself for major waves of seismic and volcanic activities in the coming weeks, months and years.”
Fire Earth Moderators believe more volcanic activities at other Philippines volcanoes are highly probable in the near future. The volcanoes located on the island on Mindanao are particularly liable to erupt in the next 12 to 36 months.
The moderators also believe a large eruption may occur at Taal volcano. For other related forecast, see links below and search blog contents.
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