BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Kanlaon Volcano in Negros continues to be restive, with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reporting Monday, December 11, that it had recorded 155 volcanic quakes on the mountain over the past 24 hours.
The agency also reported a “moderate emission of white steam-laden plumes that rose to 1000 meters before drifting southwest.”
Kanlaon has been under Alert Level 2, meaning a “moderate level of unrest,” since November 15, when Phivolcs recorded 279 deep volcanic earthquakes over a 24-hour period.
Phivolcs also said “ground deformation data from continuous GPS measurements indicate slight inflation of the edifice since December 2015.”
It attributed Kanlaon’s restiveness to the “probable intrusion of magma at depth which may or may not lead to a magmatic eruption.”
On Saturday, Phivolcs said Kanlaon had generated a 10-minute phreatic or steam-driven explosion.
The agency urged local government units to strictly implement the four-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone because of the dangers from phreatic eruptions.
It also reminded pilots not to fly close to the volcano’s summit.
