Kanlaon logs 150 volcanic earthquakes
Plume of ash The eruption of Negros Island’s Mt. Kanlaon on early Tuesday, 8 April, comes at what is expected to be a scorching summer season where the heat index has been recorded at high levels in certain parts of the country. People are cautioned to protect their airways from volcanic ash, composed of crushed small rocks, minerals and volcanic glass, which could cause eye, nose and throat irritation.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PHIVOLCS
State volcanologists recorded 150 volcanic earthquakes at Mount Kanlaon in Negros Oriental over a 24-hour period, signaling persistent unrest at the volcano. In its bulletin released Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that the seismic activity included four volcanic tremors lasting between 40 and 100 minutes.
In addition to the earthquakes, monitors observed three separate ash emissions. Earlier Monday, the agency released footage showing a gas plume rising 400 meters above the crater at approximately 7:05 a.m.
Phivolcs reported that the emissions generated 610 tons of sulfur dioxide flux. Despite the spike in activity, authorities have maintained Alert Level 2. Under this status, the public is strictly prohibited from entering the four-kilometer permanent danger zone due to the increased risk of sudden explosions, rockfalls and landslides.
Civil aviation authorities have also been advised to caution pilots against flying close to the volcano’s summit, as ash from sudden eruptions can be hazardous to aircraft.