THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Phivolcs) raised on Monday, June 5, 2023, the alert level of Mayon Volcano from 1 to 2, which also means an “increasing unrest.”
“This means that there is current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to phreatic eruptions or even precede hazardous magmatic eruption,” Phivolcs said in a statement.
It added that there was an increase in rock fall from the volcano’s summit lava dome, indicating aseismic growth since the last week of April.
From an average of five rock fall events per day, it increased to 49 over the past 24 hours or from 5 a.m. of June 4 to 5 a.m. of June 5, said the agency.
Phivolcs also said that the Mayon’s lava dome also increased in volume by approximately 83,000 m3 since February 3 and a total of nearly 164,000 m3 since August 20, 2022.
“A total of 318 rock fall events have been recorded by the Mayon Volcano Network since 01 April 2023, while 26 volcanic earthquakes have been recorded for the same period,” it said.
The agency advised the public to be vigilant and desist from entering the six-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) to minimize risks from sudden explosions, rock fall and landslides.
“In case of ash fall events that may affect communities downwind of Mayon's crater, people should cover their nose and mouth with a damp, clean cloth or dust mask,” said Phivolcs.
It also advised civil aviation authorities to alert pilots in order for them to avoid flying close to the volcano's summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. (SunStar Philippines)