Phivolcs Warns of Mayon Volcano's Potential 'Hazardous Eruption'

(SPOT.ph) The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the alert level over Mayon Volcano on Thursday, June 8 as it warned of a potentially hazardous eruption "within weeks or even days."

The Philippines' most active volcano in Bicol, located south of Metro Manila, recorded 267 rockfalls and two volcanic earthquakes from June 5 to 8, nearly five times the rockfall evens from June 1 to 4. This prompted Phivolcs to raise the alert to Alert Level 3, meaning there's an increase tendency of a hazardous eruption, from Alert Level 2.

Level 3 is the third highest alert level in Mayon Volcano, which means magma is close to the crater and if the trend continues, eruption is possible.

Also read: Phivolcs Monitors an Increase of Activities in Taal and Mayon, What's Going On?

What you need to know about Mayon Volcano's activities

Aside from rockfall activities, it also monitored three pyroclastic density current (PDC) or flows of ash and debris, on the Bonga (southeast) and Basud (east) Gullies on Thursday morning, lasting four to five minutes.

Phivolcs also monitored a "very slow" extrusion or release of degassed magma, which is increasing in rate. This means that there is an ongoing flowing out of magma from the volcano called effusive magmatic eruption. It is different from explosive eruption, when the eruption is more violent as it is shot up the air before falling back to the earth.

Those inside the six-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone are told to evacuate to avoid lava flows, rockfalls, and other hazards, Phivolcs said.