1 month ago
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MANILA, Philippines — A minor eruption occurred at Kanlaon Volcano on Thursday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
In its 6:30 p.m. notice, Phivolcs said the minor burst took place around 3:11 p.m. which lasted for two minutes based on seismic and infrasound records of the Kanlaon Volcano Network (KVN).
"The eruption generated a poorly visible plume that rose 600 meters above the vent before drifting southwest, scattering thin ashfall over Sto. Mercedes and San Luis, Barangay Sag-ang, Negros Occidental," Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said.
The explosion also generated an airwave that was recorded at five kilometers east of the summit crater and heard as a booming sound in Barangay Yubo, La Carlota City and Baranga. Sag-ang, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Bacolcol said.
Sulfurous fumes were also reported in several villages of La Castellana, the KVN said.
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"Because the eruption occurred during rainy weather, syn-eruption channel-confined lahars were immediately generated in the Buhangin River which flows through La Castellana and Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental," the Phivolcs chief said.
Phivolcs noted that the volcano's upper to middle slopes have been undergoing inflation or swelling since Jan. 10.
"When occasional plugging of the volcanic conduit occurs and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission and degassing weakens, the resulting pressure build-up within the conduit could trigger explosions such as the latest minor event," Bacolcol said.
He reiterated that Level 3 (magmatic unrest) was up over the Negros Islands olcano.
This means that the magmatic eruption that occurred may be followed by similar short-lived explosive eruptions in the short term which may generate pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) within the six-kilometer radius area on the summit, he said.
"It is therefore recommended that communities within the radius of the summit crater be evacuated due to the danger of lava flows, rockfalls, PDCs and other related hazards," Bacolcol said.
