Low visibility in north, Central Luzon unlikely to have been ‘vog’ –PHIVOLCS

The recent low visibility recorded in several areas in Northern and Central Luzon could have just been caused by regular fog and not volcanic smog or vog as reported, the Philippine Institute Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) clarified.

According to PHIVOLCS Chief Renato Solidum Jr., it is unlikely that the vog came from Japan after the submarine eruption of the Fukutoku-Okanoba volcano, as this would smell like sulfur.

This comes as residents in Alaminos, Pangasinan, as well as those in Olongapo City and other areas in Zambales reported incidents of vog.

“‘Yung sa Japan, hindi dapat sabihin na humahalo at nagkakaroon ng vog dahil sa volcanic eruption…” he said in a report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

(The Japan eruption should not be reported as being mixed into the air and causing vog because of the volcanic eruption.)

Solidum clarified that what the public may have experienced is just regular fog, which could be caused by many factors.

“Marami namang dahilan ang fog no, pwedeng dahil meteorologic, dahil sa dagat sila,” he said.

“Pero kung volcanic smog yan, ang kasalukuyan at kahapon na direksyon ng sulfur dioxide ay papuntang western. Hindi ko sigurado kung umabot diyan sa Zambales, pero kung mababa lang talaga ‘yan ay dapat malanghap nila ‘yan,” he added.

(There are a lot of causes of fog. It could be meteorologic, because they may be by the sea… But if that is volcanic smog, the current and previous direction of sulfur dioxide was moving west. I am not sure if it reached Zambales, but they should have smelled it if it was vog.) — DVM, GMA News