Alert Level 3 raised in Mayon Volcano

Alert Level 3 was raised over Mayon Volcano in Albay after pyroclastic density currents (PDC) or “uson” were recorded, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said Tuesday.

PHIVOLCS said an Alert Level 3 for Mayon means “high level of volcanic unrest."

“Pyroclastic density currents or PDCs on the Bonga (southeast) Gully began generating at 12:26 pm today from the collapse of newly extruded lava. The PDCs lasted at least three minutes based on the seismic record and emplaced within two kilometers of the summit crater,” the state seismologists said. 

READ: PHIVOLCS alert levels per active volcano

With Alert Level 3 raised, PHIVOLCS warned that the volcano is “exhibiting  magmatic eruption of a summit lava dome, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous PDCs or uson affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano and of potential explosive activity within days or weeks.” 

Under Alert Level 3, evacuation is recommended within the 6-km radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) due to the threat of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards. 

The Camalig, Alabay local government has announced that it will evacuate its residents within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft, the PHIVOLCS added.

State seismologists said that 85 rockfall events were recorded in the volcano in the past 24 hours, from 12 a.m. of Monday, January 5 until 12 a.m. of January 6.

2023 eruption

PHIVOLCS said the likely scenario with the current unrest of Mayon can be compared to the eruption in 2023. 

“Sa ngayon, ine-emphasize na natin na ang likely scenario ay tulad nung 2023, mayroon tsansa na medyo mas malakas nang kaunti. Siguro yung isang scenario na  hindi natin na-emphasize, pwede rin tumigil yung eruption anytime,” said PHIVOLCS Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division chief Antonia Bornas said at a press conference.

(For now, we are emphasizing that the likely scenario is similar to what happened in 2023, with a chance that it could be slightly stronger. One scenario that we perhaps haven't emphasized enough is that the unrest could also stop at any time.)

PHIVOLCS director Teresito Bacolcol said the eruption in 2023 and current state of Mayon have the same conditions: increasing rockfall events within days, followed by PDCs. 

“If this will follow the 2023 template, this will take 5 to 6 months,” he told GMA News Online in a text message. — VAL/RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News