THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded 24 volcanic earthquakes at Mayon Volcano from Saturday morning to yesterday morning.
The number, recorded from 5 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. yesterday, is 22 higher compared to just two volcanic quakes recorded during the previous 24 hours.
Phivolcs also reported 16 pyroclastic density current events during the same period, from just two events.
The agency noted a decrease in rockfall events, tallying 257 events from the previous 308.
Phivolcs said Mayon’s sulfur dioxide emission also decreased to 663 tons, from 744 tons.
“A total of 16 dome-collapse pyroclastic density current that lasted three minutes, 257 rockfall events, and 24 volcanic earthquakes were recorded by the Mayon Volcano Network,” said Phivolcs in a bulletin.
“Continuous moderate degassing from the summit crater produced steam-laden plumes that rose 600 meters before drifting west-southwest and southwest,” it added, referring to 663 tons of sulfur dioxide emitted by Mayon.
Phivolcs placed Mayon under Alert Level 3 on June 8. This means the volcano is “ in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible.”
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Mayon’s unrest has affected 10,121 families or 38,935 individuals as of yesterday morning.
Of the number, 5,763 families (20,139 individuals) remain displaced — 5,356 families (18,715 individuals) staying in 28 evacuation centers and 407 families (1,424 individuals) with relatives or friends.
The NDRRMC said P91.83 million worth of assistance has been provided to those affected, including family food packs valued at P24.03 million.
Phivolcs has also been monitoring the activities of Taal Volcano in Batangas and Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island over the past weeks. The two volcanoes are under Alert Level 1 (low-level unrest).
From Saturday morning to Sunday morning, Phivolcs recorded six volcanic tremors at Taal Volcano (from 13). The volcano’s sulfur dioxide emission was at 4,706 tons last June 22.
Meanwhile, four volcanic quakes were recorded at Kanlaon Volcano from Saturday morning to yesterday morning (from two). Its sulfur dioxide emission was placed at 1,291 tons on June 23.
