Mayon quiets down; Alert level lowered to 2

MANILA, Philippines — Citing a “general decline in unrest” since last month, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) yesterday lowered Mayon Volcano’s alert status to Level 2.

Phivolcs said there has been a decline in monitored parameters, including seismic activity, summit and lava flow observation, ground deformation and volcanic degassing.

However, state seismologists said the lowering of the alert level does not mean volcanic activity has ceased.

“The edifice is still inflated and sulfur dioxide emission remains high relative to baseline levels,” Phivolcs said in an advisory.

Mayon’s alert level was raised to 3 on June 8 due to magmatic eruption, with extrusion of lava in the crater summit continuing for months.

State volcanologists said that there has been lessening incandescence of the summit crater and lava flows since last month, with lava deposits reaching 400 meters of the crater in the Bonga Gully.

Volcanic earthquakes, rockfalls and pyroclastic density currents have dropped to zero per day, it added.

Phivolcs said volcanic sulfur dioxide emission has also been observed to be in cycles of generally lessened peaks, with latest data averaging 859 tons per day on Thursday.

Camalig Mayor Carlwin Baldo said with the lowering of the alert level, he ordered the decampment of five families who fled Mayon.

 “We are happy that all our residents can now spend their Christmas with their families in their homes,” Baldo said.

A dozen families in evacuation centers in Guinobatan will also be sent home at the latest by tomorrow.