Kanlaon Volcano continues to emit ash; quakes up 23

Six ash emission events and 23 volcanic earthquakes occurred at Kanlaon Volcano throughout a 24-hour observation period, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Monday.

PHIVOLCS’ bulletin showed that included in Kanlaon Volcano’s recent seismic activities were 11 volcanic tremors that lasted for 4 to 74 minutes. The earthquakes recorded at the volcano increased from 16 on Sunday to 23.

The ash emission events were also 12 to 84 minutes long.

The volcano in Negros Island also released 6,559 tonnes of sulfur dioxide on Sunday, December 29. Likewise, it generated a voluminous 200-meter tall plume that drifted west and southwest.

Earlier in the day, PHIVOLCS posted a time-lapse footage of ash emission from the Kanlaon Volcano summit crater recorded between 03:53 p.m. to 04:38 p.m., Sunday, and 09:40 p.m. to 10:31 p.m. The video has no visual, but with seismic/infrasonic signals.

It said the events generated grayish plumes that rose 100 meters above the crater before drifting west as recorded by the IP Camera in Kanlaon Volcano Observatory in Canlaon City.

On Sunday, PHIVOLCS also released time-lapse footage videos showcasing the ash emission events Kanlaon Volcano. It had seven “discrete” ash emission events since Saturday.

“These events produced grayish plumes rising 100–200 meters above the crater before drifting westward, as recorded by IP cameras in Barangay Mansalanao, La Castellana, and the Kanlaon Volcano Observatory in Canlaon City,” the agency stated.

Alert Level 3 remains hoisted over Kanlaon Volcano, signalling a magmatic unrest following its explosive eruption on December 9.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) had said it is preparing for the possible raising of the alert level at Kanlaon Volcano as experts see three potential scenarios regarding its situation: a lava flow, a violent eruption, or a plateau in volcanic activity. —AOL, GMA Integrated News