Kanlaon Volcano had 4 ash emissions lasting up to 4 hours, 35 minutes

Kanlaon Volcano had four ash emission events that lasted up to four hours and 35 minutes on Monday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Tuesday.

In its bulletin, PHIVOLCS said a voluminous plume reaching up to 1,200 meters tall and a continuous degassing with occasional ash emission were observed from the volcano.

PHIVOLCS also said 25 volcanic earthquakes including four very weak volcanic tremors were recorded over the volcano, which also lasted up to four hours and 35 minutes. This is higher compared to the 15 volcanic earthquakes reported on Sunday.

Kanlaon Volcano emitted 2,200 tonnes of sulfur dioxide gas on Monday, which is lower compared to the 7,198 tonnes recorded on Sunday.

The volcano edifice is still inflated, according to PHIVOLCS.

On Monday, PHIVOLCS issued a notice of increased volcanic ash emission from Kanlaon Volcano after the volcano continuously spewed dark ash.

“Since 11:45 am, dark ash has been issuing from the summit of Kanlaon Volcano accompanied by weak low frequency volcanic earthquake. This has produced a dark plume roughly 1.2 kilometers tall that is drifting to the northwest,” PHIVOLCs said.

PHIVOLCS said ashfall is expected to fall over the communities northwest to west of the volcano in Negros Occidental.

On December 9, an explosive eruption occurred at the summit vent of Kanlaon Volcano, producing a voluminous plume that rapidly rose to 4,000 meters.

Ashfall was reported and pyroclastic density currents or PDCs descended the slopes of the volcano.

Alert Level 3 was raised over Kanlaon Volcano, which means there is a high level of volcanic unrest. Magmatic intrusion to shallow levels of the edifice is driving unrest, with indications that hazardous eruption could occur in weeks.

Possible hazards from the volcano include sudden explosive eruption, lava flow or effusion, ashfall, pyroclastic density current (PDC), rockfall, and lahars during heavy rains.

Danger zone was expanded to a radius of six kilometers from the summit crater or active vent. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA Integrated News