5 ash emissions, 16 quakes logged at Kanlaon Volcano
DECEPTIVELY CALM Against the night sky, Mt. Kanlaon looks serene as seen from La Castellana, Negros Occidental, past 8 p.m. of Jan. 11, 2025. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, however, cautioned officials and residents near the volcano not to be complacent as Mt. Kanlaon shows signs of another eruption. —ANDREW ALTAREJOS
MANILA, Philippines — Five ash emissions and 16 volcanic earthquakes were recorded at Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island in the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Monday.
In its latest monitoring report, Phivolcs said the ash emissions, observed from Sunday to Monday midnight, lasted between four and 125 minutes.
Meanwhile, the 16 recorded earthquakes included five volcanic tremors that lasted within the same timeframe.
Phivolcs also reported that the Kanlaon Volcano released 5,483.9 tons of sulfur dioxide on Sunday, February 2. It also emitted a voluminous 400-meter-tall plume that drifted northwest.
READ: 78-minute long series of ash emissions observed over Kanlaon Volcano
Article continues after this advertisementOn Friday, February 1, Phivolcs recorded a 78-minute ash emission from Kanlaon Volcano’s crater, one of seven ash emission events that occurred on the same day.
Article continues after this advertisementKanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, indicating intensified magmatic unrest.
With this, Phivolcs reiterated that flying any aircraft near the volcano remains prohibited and warned the public of possible hazards, including:
- Sudden explosive eruptions
- Lava flows
- Ashfall
- Rockfalls
- Pyroclastic density currents (fast-moving flows of volcanic gas, ash, and debris)
- Lahars (mudflows triggered by heavy rains)
The state seismologist also recommended evacuation within a 6-kilometer radius from Kanlaon’s summit as a precautionary measure.
