(FILE) A thick plume of smoke can be seen coming out of the peak of Mount Bulusan on June 13, 2022. Image sourced from the Sorsogon Public Information Office / Facebook / Phivolcs
LIGAO CITY – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has lowered Bulusan Volcano’s alert level from 1 (low level of volcanic unrest) to 0 (quiet or no alert) on Sunday, August 21, after monitoring parameters revealed lesser activities.
In a bulletin issued at 6 p.m., Phivolcs said Mount Bulusan had no volcanic earthquakes since the third week of July, indicating that shallow hydrothermal activity has diminished.
Sulfur dioxide emission also dropped from an average of 1900 tons per day between June 5 and 12 to 230 tons per day from July 25 up to August 5, an indication of volcanic gas depletion.
However, entering the 4 kilometer permanent danger zone is strictly prohibited for the safety of the public.
Last June, Phivolcs recorded phreatic eruptions from Bulusan Volcano on June 5 and June 12 that covered several villages with ash and prompted the agency to raise the volcano’s alert level to 1.