Mayon acts up anew, spews ash

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — After staying quiet for a month, Mayon Volcano in Albay again showed signs of activity yesterday, spewing ash that rose 1,200 meters above its crater, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Phivolcs said the ash emission occurred at 4:37 p.m. and lasted four minutes and nine seconds.

Paul Alanis, Phivolcs resident volcanologist based at Lignon Hill Observatory, said the ash emission generated rumblings that were heard several kilometers away from the foot of Mayon.

Alanis said ashfall could be expected in the southwest portion of the volcano as winds blew the ejected volcanic materials toward the area.

“We are still analyzing if this latest activity could be considered as a phreatic eruption or a mild explosion,” Alanis told The STAR.

With the volcano’s recent activity, Alanis said Phivolcs would not consider lowering the prevailing Alert Level 2.

Mayon’s abnormal parameters went down in the past weeks, except for sulfur dioxide emissions that still averaged a little over the baseline threshold of 500 tons per day.

On Saturday, Phivolcs did not record any volcanic earthquake. It only logged 621 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions, a 200-meter-high plume, crater glow and a slight ground inflation.

Alanis said the last recorded ash ejection from Mayon was on Dec. 24 last year.

On Dec. 8, state volcanologists lowered Mayon’s alert level from three to two after it showed signs of reduced activity. It was first raised to Alert Level 3 on June 8.

Entry into the six-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone and flying of aircraft close to the volcano remain prohibited.

Phivolcs warned that sudden steam-driven or phreatic eruptions, rockfalls and landslides are still possible.