The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) registered a total of 31 volcanic earthquakes as of Wednesday, December 11, since the recent eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, which remains under Alert Level 3.
Two minor steam-driven eruptions also occurred, lasting for about 11 to 39 minutes. It likewise emitted 100-meter-tall moderate plume with continuous degassing and occasional ashfall that drifted westward. Since December 10, Kanlaon released 4,121 tons of sulfur dioxide per day, Phivolcs said.
“We are expecting this one (increase of sulfur dioxide) because prior to the December 9 eruption, sulfur dioxide levels dropped all of a sudden. This means something was clogging it and because of the pressure,” Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol explained in a DZRH interview.
Bacolcol said Kanlaon’s eruption on Monday was classified as “explosive.” The state seismic agency earlier warned of possible hazardous eruption of the volcano amid the prevailing Alert Level 3.
“We only documented one magmatic eruption (of Kanlaon) in 1902. After that, only phreatic eruptions (were recorded). Last December 9, we are classifying it for now as explosive eruption,” he said.
“We are analyzing the ash. Once we see that the ash emanated from a fresh magma, then we may classify it as magmatic eruption,” Bacolcol added.
The Phivolcs director further noted that ash events have been recorded in Kanlaon since October 19 with more than 80 steaming incidents.
The public is warned against possible hazards that may still occur following its dangerous explosion earlier this week, including ashfall, pyroclastic density currents, rock fall and mudflows or ‘lahars’ during periods of heavy rains.
Mount Kanlaon straddles between the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental in the Negros Island Region.
