Mayon Volcano not yet calming down despite lower gas emission —PHIVOLCS

Mount Mayon’s gas output has decreased by half in the last 24 hours, which means no new magma is rising from the volcano, but it is not yet calming down.

Ed Laguerta, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in Bicol, said in a news conference that Mayon emitted 1,583 tonnes per day of sulfur dioxide on Friday.

Laguerta said this is less than half of Thursday’s 3,066 tonnes per day.

He said this means there is no new supply of magma rising to the volcano’s summit crater.

“For the meantime, ‘yung gas output nakita niyo halos bumaba nang kalahati, so ibig sabihin wala pang bagong batch na umakyat, so ‘yung dati pa ring magma na nasa upper portion ang nagde-degas, so medyo okay [na] balita ‘yan,” he said.

“But it’s still only three days, kaya sa tatlong araw pa lang ‘yun, hindi pa natin masasabi ‘yan, but if that trend would continue mas maganda,” he added.

Geodetic analysis also shows a deflation in the volcano, consistent with the reduced sulfur dioxide emissions, indicating no new magma rising from within Mayon. This, however, is being subjected to confirmatory tests, which are expected to be completed today.

PHIVOLCS chief Renato Solidum, meanwhile, clarified that this amount of gas emission is “still high,” only lower than a previous measurement.

Asked if a lower gas output means the volcano is “calming down,” Solidum said: “Not really.”

“Lava flow is still continuing and magma is still being intruded from below as tilt measurements indicate that the Mayon’s edifice is still inflated,” he told GMA News Online.

Laguerta said during the press conference that the volcano last showed a “significant” episode of lava fountaining at 9:18 a.m. Friday, which generated a one-kilometer high ash plume.

Scientists also observed a “deflation” in the volcano by one millimeter, he added.

PHIVOLCS bulletin released 8 a.m. Saturday said scientists monitoring Mayon Volcano's activity recorded 17 volcanic earthquakes, most of which corresponded to sporadic and weak lava fountaining episodes, and 10 tremor events on Friday.

The volcano has so far ejected close to 50 million cubic meters of pyroclastic material in the last 22 days.

Historically, Mayon volcano dumps anywhere from 20 to 80 million cubic meters of pyroclastic material for every eruption cycle, according to PHIVOLCS.

The Albay Provincial Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) is still imposing the eight-kilometer extended danger zone for residents, in line with its zero-casualty objective.

“Ang seven to eight (-kilometer), buffer na po 'yon. Kahit pumutok ang bulkan, kahit umabot pa tayo sa Alert Level 5 wala pa tayo sa history na inabot ng eight kilometers ang pyroclastic flor,” Cedric Daep, APSEMO chief said.

The provincial government is spending about P4 million a day for the 79,000 evacuees as a result of the imposed danger zone. —ALG, GMA News