MANILA, Philippines – Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon generated another phreatic eruption yesterday that lasted for 15 minutes, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Yesterday’s explosion – the fourth recorded in a week – produced a dirty white to grayish ash column that reached 2.5 kilometers high and drifted west-southwest.
The agency, however, did not mention in its report whether there were communities affected by the explosion.
Phivolcs said the eruption originated from the summit crater, while a smaller eruption also transpired at the southeast vent.
Phivolcs recorded a total of 24 volcanic earthquakes at Bulusan during the past 24 hours.
Bulusan remains at Alert Level 1, which means that the volcano is still in an “abnormal” state. Phivolcs noted that “hydrothermal processes are underway beneath the volcano that may lead to steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.”
The agency continued to warn the public against entering the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone around the volcano.
Three phreatic eruptions were recorded at Bulusan last Oct. 17, 19 and 21, which brought minimal ash fall in some villages in the towns of Bulusan, Irosin and Casiguran.