Manila: Volcanologists have raised the alert level on Kanlaon, an active volcano in central Philippines currently showing restiveness alongside two other volcanoes — Mt Mayon in the east and Taal, near Manila.
Alert Level 1 was raised over Kanlaon Volcano on Friday (June 16, 2023) even as Mayon Volcano in the eastern province of Albay and Taal Volcano in Batangas province near the Philippine capital have shown heightened back-to-back activities.
At least 2 volcanic earthquakes were recorded Friday around Kanlaon on Negros island in central Philippines. In recent days, government volcanologists recorded more than 1,080 tonnes of sulfur dioxide flux spewed by Kanlaon.
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'Inflation'
Scientists have also detected the swelling or slight “inflation” of the edifice of Kanlaon (height: 2,465 metres), a stratovolcano which has two summit cones — each with a crater. The volcano straddles the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
Alert level 1 — a low-level alert warning — is usually raised following an increase in steam/gas activity with notable increase in the temperature of hot springs.
Permanent danger zone
Entry into the 4-km permanent danger zone around Kanlaon is now prohibited as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) have also detected hydrothermal, magmatic/tectonic disturbances.
Kanlaon, Mayon and Taal are three of about two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippine archipelago made up of 7640 islands. They have had several violent eruptions in the recent past. Kanlaon last erupted in 2019. Mayon last erupted in 2018, while Taal last erupted in March 2022.
Two other volcanoes restive
On Wednesday (June 14, 2023), the Alert Level was 1 raised for Taal as 38 volcanic quakes, including 2 tremors lasting 2 minutes, were recorded. Alert Level 3 has been raised raised on Mount Mayon by Phivolcs since last week.
Amid Mayo's ongoing unrest that could endure “for months”, Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol urged residents of the Mayon Volcano's 6-km-radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) to remain in their evacuation sites.
About 14,000 residents near Mayon had been force-evacuated to a safer ground.
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