Longer lava flow monitored in Mayon Volcano
Published Jul 4, 2023 01:52 am
Lava flowing sluggishly from the erupting Mayon Volcano has advanced to a distance of 2.8 kilometers on the southern flank of the volcano as of Tuesday, July 4, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
This was longer than the previous day’s 2.7-kilometer-long lava flow on the Mi-isi Gully in Mayon Volcano’s southern section.
Meanwhile, the lava flowing on Bonga Gully on Mayon’s southeastern flank is still 1.3 kilometers long, and collapsed debris deposits are still 4 kilometers from the crater.
A series of pyroclastic density currents, or PDCs, began cascading down the Basud Gully on the eastern flank of Mayon Volcano at 6:09 p.m. on June 30, 2023. The PDCs lasted approximately four minutes and traveled three to four kilometers downslope. (Screengrab from Phivolcs)
PDCs, rockfalls, volcanic quake
Between 5 a.m. Monday, July 3, and 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 4, Phivolcs also recorded six three-minute-long dome collapse pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), one lava front collapse PDCs that generated 300-meter-high light brown plume, 257 rockfall events, and one volcanic earthquake. “In the past 24-hour period, the very slow effusion of lava from the summit crater of Mayon Volcano continued to feed lava flows and collapse debris on the Mi-isi and Bonga gullies as well as rockfall and PDCs on these and the Basud (eastern) Gully,” Phivolcs said. A “moderate” amount of sulfur dioxide was also constantly emitted from the Mayon crater, producing a 200-meter-high steam-laden plume that drifted west-northwest and west-southwestward.Alert Level 3 remains in effect
Phivolcs said Mayon Volcano is still at Alert Level 3 due to the presence of magma at the crater and the possibility of a “hazardous eruption within weeks or even days.” Due to increasing unrest, the Mayon Volcano’s status has been upgraded twice in the past month, first to level 2 on June 5 and then to level 3 on June 8. Phivolcs strongly advised the evacuation within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone due to PDCs, lava, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards. In addition, Phivolcs advised communities to maintain increased vigilance against PDCs, lahars and sediment-laden stream flows along channels draining the volcano edifice, as heavy rainfall could cause channel-confined lahars and sediment-laden stream flows. Pilots were also asked to avoid flying close to the volcano because ash from a sudden eruption may pose hazards to aircraft. According to Phivolcs, communities on the southern side of Mayon Volcano may most likely experience ash fall events based on the current wind pattern.