Mayon’s sulphur dioxide emission, rockfall events surge anew

MANILA, Philippines — Sulphur dioxide emissions and rockfall events in Mayon Volcano have increased again as its abnormal parameters continued to fluctuate.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said 502 rockfall events and sulphur dioxide emissions of 6,652 tons per day were recorded in the past 24 hours.

Paul Alanis, Phivolcs resident volcanologist at the Lignon Hill Observatory in Legazpi City in Albay, said this means that Mayon is neither showing a sustained decline nor an upsurge in its abnormal signs.

Alanis said Phivolcs has yet to decide whether to lower Mayon’s alert level even though volcanic earthquakes and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) were low.

Eight volcanic earthquakes and 10 PDCs were recorded in the past three days.

“Mayon remained in a high level of unrest because of the high rockfall events and sulphur dioxide emissions. This means that fresh magma continued to ascend to the crater,” Alanis said.

Meanwhile, Phivolcs said increased seismic activity was monitored in Kanlaon Volcano on Negros island in the past three days.

Thirty-six volcanic quakes, including 34 that were volcano-tectonic in nature, were recorded.

Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 1.

State seismologists said the alert level may be raised to warn the public of the volcano’s increasing unrest. –  Gilbert Bayoran