Mayon Volcano records 162 rockfalls, 50 PDCs in past 24 hours

A total of 162 rockfall events have been recorded in the past 24 hours as Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano in Albay, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said.

From 12 a.m. on Wednesday to 12 a.m. on Thursday, PHIVOLCS said that 50 pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) have been observed in the volcano.

PDCs are mixtures of fragmented volcanic particles (pyroclastics), hot gases, and ashes that rush down the volcanic slopes or rapidly outward from a source vent at high speeds, PHIVOLCS said.

“Yung PDC na na-observe natin ay umabot ito ng 1.5 kilometers from the crater from the summit,” PHIVOLCS chief Teresito Bacolcol told Dobol B TV in an interview.

(The PDC that we observed reached 1.5 kilometers from the crater from the summit.)

“Yung isa nasa Mi-isi Gully nasa may Daraga. And then yung PDC na nasa Bonga Gully nasa Legazpi. And then yung Basud Channel sa Sto. Domingo,” he added.

(The PDC in Mi-isi Gully is in Daraga, then the PDC in Bonga Gully in Legazpi, and then the Basud Channel in Sto. Domingo.)

One volcanic earthquake was recorded while the volcano’s edifice was still inflated.

A fair crater glow on the volcano was also visible. 

Mayon Volcano emitted 702 tonnes of sulfur dioxide gases on January 5, according to PHIVOLCS. A moderate volcanic plume rose up to 200 meters above the crater and drifted northeast. 

READ: Meaning of PHIVOLCS alert levels per active volcano

Under Alert Level 3, the volcano shows an intensified unrest or magmatic unrest.

Authorities strictly prohibit entry into the six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) and warn against unnecessary activity in the extended danger zone (EDZ).

Flying any aircraft close to the volcano is also prohibited due to potential ash and ballistic hazards.

Mayon could generate rockfalls or landslides or avalanches; ballistic fragments; lava flows and lava fountaining; pyroclastic density currents; moderate-sized explosions; and lahars during heavy and prolonged rainfall.

A total of 3,515 people or 964 families in Albay were affected by the volcano’s activity, according to a report of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday.

The affected barangays are Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao, Malilipot, and Tabaco.

Of the total affected population, the NDRRMC said 3,476 individuals or 952 families were staying in evacuation centers while 39 persons or 12 families were taking shelter in other places. —VAL, GMA Integrated News