Mayon quiet anew

LEGAZPI CITY — Mayon Volcano became quiet anew yesterday after five days of a surge in its restiveness, volcanologists said.

July Sabit, of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) here, said only nine volcanic quakes — which indicate magma ascent to the crater — were detected yesterday, compared to 31 the previous day.

The volcano’s sulfur dioxide emission dropped from over 6,000 tons the other day to 2,021 tons during the past 24-hour monitoring period, he said.

Sabit, however, clarified that the decline in these two parameters has to be monitored in the coming days to determine a downward trend in Mayon’s restiveness.

He said Mayon’s abnormality continues to fluctuate, thus giving scientists a hard time determining if it would finally quiet down or merely gathering strength for a major eruption.

Phivolcs has maintained alert level 4 around the volcano for nearly two months now.

The number of Mayon evacuees has dwindled to 33,000 after 11,000 others were convinced to return to their villages which are outside the six- to seven-kilometer danger zone.

Cedric Daep, provincial disaster management chief, said they would ask all evacuees to return home once Mayon’s alert level is lowered to three.