LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – A beautiful but still dangerous Mount Mayon lurks underneath thick clouds that have been covering the volcano in the past two days.
Volcanologists here have warned residents that it is still not safe to go back to their homes in the permanent danger zones amid the ongoing decampment that has been misinterpreted that Mayon is calming down.
Winchell Sevilla, volcano specialist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said data and analyses still indicate a restive Mayon that could spew more pyroclastic density materials any time.
“All the data points to the fact of continuous activity of the Mayon Volcano. And that is the reason why it is still under Alert Level 4,” said Sevilla.
While sulfur dioxide emission decreased and a ground deflation was monitored on the southern side of Mayon, Sevilla said other parameters indicate unrest.
He said that lava flow is continuous which means there is still high pressure that continuously pushes out volcanic materials out of Mayon.
Before noon yesterday, ash puffs were monitored and rumbling sounds could still be heard from the volcano.
Ed Laguerta, Phivolcs senior volcanologist, said sulfur dioxide emission has reduced from 3,000 to 1,500 tons a day. The normal sulfur dioxide emission of the volcano is 5,000 tons a day.
Laguerta said Mayon is still not safe as of now as indicated by their three parameters – gas emission, ground inflation, and volcanic earthquakes.
“There are three parameters that we are using to determine if Mayon is safe or not. Right now, all the three parameters show abnormalities,” said Laguerta.
“What we are doing is for public safety. We are particularly concerned of pyroclastic density currents because these are deadly,” said Laguerta.
Fifty-five earthquakes, most of which corresponded to sporadic and weak fountaining events, have been recorded over the past 24 hours at Mayon, the Phivolcs said.
From Saturday until yesterday, Phivolcs recorded sporadic and weak lava fountaining, lava flow, and degassing from the volcano’s summit.
One event produced a 500-meter-high ash plume and a low and weak lava fountain that lasted 37 seconds.
Throughout Saturday night, quiet lava effusion fed lava flows in the Miisi and Bonga-Buyuan channels.
The Miisi lava flow has remained at 3.2 kilometers from the volcano summit while the Bonga-Buyuan lava flows have advanced to 4.3 kilometers.
Nine rockfall events were also recorded by Mayon’s seismic monitoring network.
Phivolcs continues to advise the public to be vigilant and desist from entering the eight-kilometer-radius danger zone.
It also advised civil aviation authorities to warn pilots from flying close to the summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. (Aaron B. Recuenco and Ellayn V. Ruiz)
