Mayon Volcano's alert status lowered to Level 1
The alert status of Mayon Volcano has been downgraded from Level 2 (moderate-level unrest) to 1 (low-level unrest) due to a “steady decline” in its monitored volcanic parameters since the beginning of the year, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in an advisory released on Tuesday afternoon, March 5.
It said the lowering of Mayon Volcano’s status means that its state of unrest has declined to low levels and that the likelihood of an eruption occurring in the near future has decreased.
Based on its monitoring, Phivolcs said the number of earthquakes at Mayon Volcano has decreased to an average of two to three per day since the first week of January.
It pointed out that the volcano's internal processes of rock fracturing are responsible for a significant portion of these earthquakes.
Meanwhile, Phivolcs said the average number of rockfall events from Mayon's summit dome was one to zero per day, suggesting a notable deceleration in the growth of the lava dome.
“Mayon’s summit crater has generated only weak to moderate degassing plumes this year. Since Dec. 8, 2023 when the status of Mayon was lowered to Alert Level 2, crater glow, or incandescence associated with superheated gas emitted from the summit crater, has remained weak and visible only with the aid of a telescope. No movement of the lava flows on the Mi-isi, Bonga and Basud Gullies could be observed as well,” it pointed out.
“These observations of stable summit conditions, sparse rockfall events and lack of movement of the lava flows are consistent with the absence of magma re-supply to the shallow levels of the edifice,” it added.
However, Phivolcs clarified that lowering the Mayon Volcano's alert status does not mean that unrest has ended completely.
“In the event of a renewed increase in any one or combination of the above monitoring parameters, the alert status may step up once again to Alert Level 2. On the other hand, if there is a noticeable return to baseline levels of ground deformation and sustained low levels of other monitoring parameters, then the alert status may further step down,” it said.
The public is still advised to avoid entering the six-kilometer permanent danger zone due to the perennial hazards of rockfalls, avalanches, and a sudden steam-driven or phreatic eruption at the summit.