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Phivolcs braces for ‘hazardous’ Mayon eruption


After observing a continued increase in volcanic activity, state volcanologists on Thursday warned of a possible hazardous eruption from Mayon Volcano in Bicol, but dismissed a "Pinatubo explosion" scenario. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Renato Solidum Jr. said they are likely to raise the alert level from “3" to “4." Alert level 4 is characterized by an imminent hazardous eruption, marked by the volcano's intensifying unrest - this includes persistent tremor, many "low frequency"-type earthquakes. Also, SO2 emission level may show sustained increase or abrupt decrease, intense crater glow and presence of incandescent lava fragments in the summit area. “We are monitoring Mayon closely, especially its volcanic and seismic activities, as well as the type of volcanic quakes," Solidum said in an interview on dzBB radio. While Solidum declined to give a timetable on when they will raise the alert level to 4, he said another possible indicator may be an increase in ash explosions. Solidum said that with the volcano spewing lava and ash, two scenarios are likely – a lava flow with moderate ash explosion, or a hazardous eruption with pyroclastic flow. But he maintained that even if a hazardous eruption occurs, the scale would not be as destructive as the one that happened at Mount Pinatubo in Central Luzon in 1991. Pinatubo spewed up in the air kilometers of column of ash and pyroclastic materials. When the ash settled, it covered a big part of Central Luzon, including Metro Manila. “We are not using the term major eruption because it may give people the wrong impression a hazardous eruption will be similar to what happened to Mount Pinatubo. That will not be the case," he said. Phivolcs raised the alert level on Mayon from “2" to “3" Monday night after noting increased volcanic activity there. Phivolcs had raised the alert level to “2" last July 10. - LBG, GMANews.TV

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