(FILES) THICK ash plumes billow 800 meters above Mount Kanlaon’s restless summit, swirling west-northwest like ominous smoke signals sent from a brewing storm.
Photograph courtesy of PHIVOLCS
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The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) lowered on Tuesday the status of Kanlaon Volcano from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2 due to decreased volcanic activity and decreased gas emissions this.
“Following its last eruptive activity on May 13, 2025, Kanlaon Volcano has been exhibiting less frequent volcanic earthquake activity, decreased volcanic gas emitted by subsurface magma, and ground deformation cycles,” Phivolcs noted.
State volcanologists also said that volcanic earthquakes recorded by the Kanlaon Volcano Network (KVN) averaged eight events daily with peak magnitudes of 2.7 for from 14 May 2025 to present.
This marks a significant decrease from the medium-term average of 14 events per day with peak magnitudes of magnitude 3.8 for the period 3 June 2024 to 13 May 2025.
Meanwhile, ash emission from the summit, which began in October 2024, has ceased after the last event on 5 June.
Sulfur dioxide has likewise declined, according to Phivolcs.
However, Phivolcs said that while Alert Level 2 means that there is decreased unrest, it should not be interpreted that unrest has ceased or that the threat of an eruption has disappeared.
"Should an uptrend or pronounced change in monitored parameters forewarn of potential eruption, the Alert Level may be raised back to Alert Level 3," Phivolcs said.
It also strongly recommended that at Alert Level 2, communities within the four-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone should remain evacuated due to the lingering chances of short-lived explosive eruptions and sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions that can generate life-threatening volcanic hazards such as ballistic projectiles, rockfalls and lethal expulsions of volcanic gas.
Increased vigilance against potential lahars and sediment-laden streamflows in channels draining the volcanic slopes must continually be exercised in case eruptive unrest resumes under heavy to intense rainfall, it reminded.
It also advised civil aviation authorities to instruct pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano's summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
