BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ
Kanlaon Volcano has continued to exhibit slightly increased volcanic activity, manifested by earthquakes and steam emissions, based on the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) 24-hour observation from Feb. 14 to Feb. 15.
In its volcano bulletin issued on Monday, Phivolcs’ monitoring network has recorded 26 volcanic earthquakes and observed moderate emission of white steam-laden plumes 500 meters tall before drifting southwest and northwest.
The emission of sulfur dioxide, a major gas component of magma, was measured at an average of 1,130 tons/day on Feb. 13, Phivolcs observed.
It also noted that based on the ground deformation data from continuous GPS (global positioning system) and electronic tilt measurements, a slight inflation of the lower and middle slopes have been observed since June 2020.
“These parameters may indicate hydrothermal, tectonic, or deep-seated magmatic processes occurring deep beneath the edifice,” Phivolcs explained.
It has issued an advisory last Feb. 13 noting a slightly increased seismic activity and volcanic gas flux at Mt. Kanlaon in the past few days.
Phivolcs said Mt. Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 1, which means the active volcano is in an “abnormal condition” but still at a “low level of volcanic unrest.”
Phivolcs urged the public to be vigilant and refrain from entering the four-kilometer permanent danger zone “due to further possibilities of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.”
Civil aviation authorities were asked to advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ejects from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. (Ellalyn de Vera-Ruiz)
