Lava fountaining, lava flow, and degassing seen at Mayon crater

Mayon Volcano continues to spew out lava, and continuous lava fountaining and degassing have been seen at the summit crater, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Thursday morning.

From 12:35 p.m. Wednesday, there had been 35 successive lava fountaining episodes recorded, PHIVOLCS said.

Loud rumbling and heaving sounds could be heard beyond 10 kilometers of the summit crater during the lava fountaining episodes which ran from nine to 233 minutes.

The lava fountains would go as high as 150 meters tall, generating steam-laden plumes rising 800 meters high from the summit.

PHIVOLCS said there were also lava flows and rockfalls in the Miisi and Bonga-Buyuan channels.

The lava flows have gone down 3.3 kilometers on Miisi Gully, 4.5 kilometers on Bonga Gully, and 400 meters on Basud Gully.

There were also deposits of pyroclastic density currents on the Miisi, Bonga, and Basud Gullies.

PHIVOLCS recorded 36 volcanic earthquakes, most of which happened during the lava fountaining episodes.

Sulfur dioxide gas emission on Thursday was at an average of 2526 tonnes.

According to a report on Unang Balita on Thursday by Ivan Mayrina, 67 million cubic meters of lava and pyroclastic materials have so far been ejected by the volcano. The upper limit is 80 million.

PHIVOLCS advised the public to remain vigilant since Alert Level 4 is still in effect.

They were also advised not to enter the eight-kilometer-radius danger zone, and to watch for pyroclastic density currents, lahars, and sediment-laden stream flows.

Farming, tourism, quarrying

Mayon's restlessness has affected farming, causing P165 million damage to crops.

Outdoor tourism, including all-terrain vehicle (ATV) tours and mountaineering, has also been negatively affected.

Meanwhile, the volcano's eruption has resulted in a positive effect on the quarrying industry.

The local government, however, urged those engaged in quarrying to dredge responsibly in riverbeds due to the lahar threat. —KG, GMA News