‘Very shallow’ quakes recorded on Mt. Kanlaon

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Wednesday recorded 11 "very shallow" earthquakes on the lower northwest flank of Kanlaon Volcano.

In an advisory, PHIVOLCS said the earthquakes began at 8:12 p.m. on February 8. It ranges from magnitude 0.1 to 2.1.

PHIVOLCS also said the ground deformation data from continuous GPS measurements indicate slight inflation of the middle to upper edifice since mid-October last year, while short-term deflation since December 2021 and January 2022 was recorded by EDM and electronic tilt monitoring, respectively, on the southeastern flanks.

Meanwhile, sulfur dioxide emission from the summit crater remains within baseline levels, averaging 387 tons per day since October 2021.

On February 3, sulfur dioxide emission was measured at only 138 tons, PHIVOLCS added.

"There is no visible degassing activity from the crater at present. Overall, localized shallow seismic activity and short-term ground deformation are likely caused by shallow hydrothermal or geothermal processes beneath the edifice that could generate phreatic or steam-driven explosions," it said.

Alert Level 1 remains over Kanlaon Volcano, which means it is at low-level unrest.

PHIVOLCS reminded local government units and the public that entry into the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone must be strictly prohibited due to the further possibilities of sudden hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.—LDF, GMA News