2 volcanic earthquakes, 229 rockfall events recorded in Mayon Volcano – Phivolcs

MANILA, Philippines, June 22 ----- The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Wednesday said that it had recorded two volcanic earthquakes and 229 rockfall events in Mayon Volcano, which remains under Alert Level 3.

Citing its 8 a.m. bulletin, Phivolcs said it monitored the volcanic earthquakes and rockfall events, along with seven dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) over the last 24 hours as the volcano continues to have “intensified unrest or magmatic unrest.”

Earlier, Phivolcs logged one volcanic earthquake, slightly higher rockfall events at 301, and two PDCs. Meanwhile, Mayon’s “very slow effusion” of lava flow remains at 2.5 kilometers (km) along Mi-isi and 1.8 km along Bonga Gullies within 3.3 km from the crater. The volcano stays under Alert Level 3 due to “potential explosive activity happening within days or weeks,” and over the past 24 hours, Phivolcs said Mayon released 507 tons of sulfur dioxide per day as of June 21.

Moreover, Phivolcs said that the volcano’s plumes reached 800 meters tall before being generally seen drifting west. It warned locals that “rockfalls or landslides or avalanches; ballistic fragments; lava flows and lava fountaining; pyroclastic density currents; moderate-sized explosions; and lahars during heavy and prolonged rainfall” might occur within the area.

Earlier, Phivolcs said that Mayon Volcano’s unrest might continue for at least three months after reviewing its data on the volcano’s activities back in 2014 and 2018. Last June 18, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that the volcano’s continuous activity has so far affected 38,979 persons or 10,123 families from 26 barangays in the Bicol region.

Source: inquirer.net