Phivolcs: Mayon Volcano now 'very intense'
MANILA, Philippines - Mayon Volcano's activity has become "very intense" with stronger volcanic earthquakes and continuous lava fountaining, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Tuesday morning.
"Earthquake signals are more intensive and bigger in size compared to Monday's record," Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum told ANC's News@8.
Solidum said the volcano has been covered by thick clouds since Monday, but the rumbling sounds and stronger earthquake signals indicate that lava fountaining was continuous.
He said the Phivolcs' monitoring team was able to actually see the fountaining of lava during 2 cloud breaks at 6 p.m. Monday.
Phivolcs' bulletin issued at 7 a.m. Tuesday, said the volcano "continued to show an intense level of activity during the past 24 hours." It said a total of 1,266 volcanic earthquakes were detected during the 24-hour observation time.
"Many of these volcanic earthquakes were recorded at maximum deflection and have continuously occurred since 12:21 p.m., 20 December 2009 (Sunday). Harmonic tremors were still continuously being recorded," the Phivolcs bulletin said.
The bulletin added that the volcano's sulfur dioxide emission rate remained "very high," measuring to an average of 6,529 tons per day.
It said red hot lava has continously flowed down along the Bonga-Buyuan, Miisi and Lidong gullies. The lava front has reached about 5 kilometers downslope from the summit along the Bonga-Buyuan gully.
The alert level hoisted over Mayon Volcano was raised from 3 to 4 on Sunday afternoon. Alert Level 4 means "a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days."
The increased alert level prompted authorities to hasten the evacuation of a total of 9,946 families or 47,285 residents from 45 villages located within the 6-kilometer to 8-kilometer danger zones of Mayon Volcano.
The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council of Albay reported that a total of 9,428 families have been evacuated from the danger zones.
With majority of the residents evacuated, Solidum said authorities are now more concerned of the ashfall produced by the volcano's intense activity.
"That is the more dangerous part because its very fine ash. During explosions [lava] fragments are quite big, but the main problem of the eruption from a distance is the very fine ash," he said, adding that fine ash produces more hazardous effects to humans.
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The Hazards Of Volcanic Ash.
Source: Wikipedia
Health Hazards of Volcanic Ash
Volcanic ash (by itself) is not poisonous, but inhaling it may cause problems for people whose respiratory system is already compromised by disorders such as asthma or emphysema. The abrasive texture can cause irritation and scratching of the surface of the eyes. People who wear contact lenses should wear glasses during an ashfall, to prevent eye damage. Furthermore, the combination of volcanic ash with moisture in the lungs can create a substance akin to liquid cement.
Therefore, people should take caution to filter the air they breathe with a damp cloth or a face mask when facing an ashfall.
Environmental Hazards of Volcanic Ash
Ash is very dense, as only 100 millimetres (3.9 in) of ash leads to the collapse of weaker roofs. A fall of 300 millimetres (12 in) leads to the death of most vegetation, livestock, the wiping out of aquatic life in nearby lakes and rivers, and unusable roads. Accompanied by rain and lightning, ashfall leads to power outages, prevents communication, and disorients people.