KANLAON QUAKES CONTINUE RISING
BACOLOD City – The seismic activities i n Mount Kanlaon continued to increase as the latest bulletin of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology ( Phivolcs) showed that the volcano had 1,007 volcanic earthquakes in the last 24 hours as of yesterday.
The most recent volcanic quakes were accompanied with moderate emission of white steam- l aden plumes, which reached a 300-meter peak from the crater before drifting southwest, the bulletin further stated.
Mount Kanlaon also emitted sulfur dioxide with an average of 687 tons on Dec. 13, the day when Phivolcs recorded 578 volcanic earthquakes accompanied with continued spewing of ash.
Earlier, Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division head Zephard Gerhart Caelian said the volcanic activities reflected on the Dec. 13 bulletin were “normal.”
Caelian said the low frequency quakes were the results of a hot rock “reacting” to the water from the recent rains in the area.
The Dec. 14 bulletin also indicated that there is slight inflation on Mount Kanlaon’s edifice, according to the ongoing global positioning system measurements.
The volcano is still on Alert Level 2, or the moderate level of unrest. Phivolcs raised Mount Kanlaon’s alert level from 1 to 2 on Nov. 15 due to “sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.”
This means that there is still probable magma intrusion, which may lead to magmatic eruptions.
Phivolcs reiterated that the public is not allowed to enter the 4- kilometer radius permanent danger zone.
It also advised civil aviation authorities to instruct pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit.
Earlier, Office of the Civil Defense said all local government units around Mount Kanlaon have already prepared strategic response actions if ever “worst- case scenarios” occur./