Phivolcs: Bulging at slopes of Mayon no cause for alarm

LEGAZPI CITY –– The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in Bicol said on Thursday that the bulging at the middle and upper slopes of Mt. Mayon are signs that the volcano remains restive but is no cause for alarm.

Phivolcs’ electronic tilt data showed that the middle to upper portions of the volcano’s edifice had remained inflated since the last quarter of last year.

Paul Alanis, Phivolcs resident volcanologist, said the bulging of the volcanic edifice was due to the remnants of magma emitted by the volcano in January 2018.

Alanis, in a phone interview, said the bulging was a normal manifestation because the old magma, which was not spewed during the 2018 eruption, could have remained at the volcano middle to upper vent.

He said the old magma that remained at the volcano’s crater has produced the faint crater glows that the public observed at night.

Meanwhile, the Phivolcs seismic monitoring network recorded two volcanic earthquakes during the 24-hour observation period. Sulfur dioxide emission was measured at an average of 288 tons/day on February 17.

The volcano alert status remained at level 2, meaning the volcano is at a moderate level of unrest.

The public is still prohibited from entering the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone, including the precautionary seven-kilometer radius extended danger zone as explosions, lava collapse, pyroclastic flows, and ashfall could happen without warning.

Edited by Lzb