Mayon sustains high level of unrest

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — Mayon Volcano in Albay has showed a sustained high level of unrest in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

From Oct. 24 to yesterday, state volcanologists recorded 569 volcanic earthquakes or a daily average of 81.3; 647 tremors, or 91.9 per day; 1,077 rockfall events, or 153.85/day; 113 pyroclastic density currents, or 16.14/day, and 6,505 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions, or 929 tons per day.

Paul Alanis, Phivolcs resident volcanologist based at the Lignon Hill Observatory in this city, yesterday said the figures indicated that Mayon remains at a high level of unrest.

“There are no signs yet that the volcano is simmering down,” Alanis said. “These values tell us that Mayon’s abnormality remains high, although these are still within the alert Level 3 status.”

He said these high values indicated that massive magmatic degassing activities continue to take place inside Mayon.

“The volcanic quakes, tremors, PDCs and rockfall events were triggered by an unabated ascent of fresh magma and other volcanic materials to the crater of Mayon,” Alanis said.