Manila: There's no need to raise Mayon Volcano's alert status, from Level 3 (intensified unrest/magmatic unrest) to Level 4 (hazardous eruption imminent), for now, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol communicated in a phone interview that there is currently no clear indication necessitating an increase in the alert level. This change would only occur if there is a definitive escalation in monitoring parameters. Bacolcol stated that the ash emission observed under the current conditions of unrest remains within normal levels.
Bacolcol had previously informed the agency that the decision to raise the alert status to Level 4 would depend on specific indicators, such as the occurrence of frequent and larger pyroclastic density currents (PDCs). He noted that a larger PDC is characterized by its increased thickness, speed, temperature, and range.
Phivolcs reported that Mayon Volcano emitted ash at 1:50 p.m., producing a grayish to brownish plume that ascended 1,000 meters above the crater. Over a 24-hour period beginning at midnight Monday, Phivolcs recorded 305 rockfall events, 20 PDCs, and four volcanic earthquakes.
Additionally, Phivolcs observed lava effusion, with lava flows occurring in the Basud, Bonga, and Misi gullies within the past 24 hours. The sulfur dioxide flux was measured at 3,891 tonnes on February 23.
Under Alert Level 3, entry into the six-kilometer permanent danger zone is strictly prohibited due to the risks posed by lava flows, rockfalls, PDCs, and other volcanic hazards.
