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Mayon rockfall events increase but no lava flow - Phivolcs

Article (news)

mayon jan8

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Thursday warned residents to stay away from Mayon Volcano as boulders as big as cars continue to fall from the volcano’s lava dome.Phivolcs chief Dr. Teresito Bacolcol said the agency has recorded one volcanic earthquake, 162 rockfall events and 50 pyroclastic density currents as of Thursday morning, January 8. “The PDCs and rockfall means there is a constant supply of magma, which leads to lava dome growth at habang lumalaki ang lava dome natin, nagiging unstable. Bumabagsak, nagkakaroon tayo ng rockfall events,” Bacolcol told radio DZMM.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y7udo8YdKxw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>Rockfall events have been recorded in Miisi, Bonga and Basud Gullies on the southern, eastern, southeastern flanks of the volcano near Daraga, Legaspi and Sto. Domingo, the Phivolcs chief said.  “Parang kotse ‘yan…Ganun kalalaki ‘yung rockfall,” he said.Pyroclastic density currents, which can reach speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour, are also especially dangerous, he warned.“Yung PDC o yung tinatawag na uson sa Bicol, ito ‘yung parang avalanche nang pinaghalo-halong mga abo, bato at gas. Mabilis po ito…Delikado ito. In fact, during the 1993 eruption sa Mayon, 77 ang namatay dahil sa PDC,” he warned.Mayon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3 for now, Bacolcol said, as Phivolcs monitors if there will be increase in volcanic quakes, frequent PDCs, increase in sulfur dioxide emissions, lava flow or lava fountaining.“Wala pa tayong nakita na lava flow. ‘Yung incandescent akala natin lava flow pero rockfall ‘yun. ‘Yung PDC mainit din so parang lava flow pero hindi pa lava flow. Wala pa tayong lava flow na na-observe,” he said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Thursday warned residents to stay away from Mayon Volcano as boulders as big as cars continue to fall from the volcano’s lava dome.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Thursday warned residents to stay away from Mayon Volcano as boulders as big as cars continue to fall from the volcano’s lava dome.