Bacolod City – Surrounding communities within the Kanlaon volcano in Negros Island have been alerted by the Philippine Institute on Volcanology and Seismology on the elevated sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emissions from its crater, which reached 7,307 tons on August 13.
That is the highest emissions recorded from the volcano since instrumental gas monitoring began, PHIVOLCS said.
It added that Kanlaon has been degassing increased concentrations of volcanic SO2 this year, at an average rate of 1,273 tonnes per day prior to the 3 June eruption. Since then, the emissions have been particularly elevated, at a current average of 3,102 tonnes/day.
In addition, volcanic earthquake activity has persisted at an average of nine events per day since the eruption.
PHIVOLCS also noted real-time ground deformation data from continuous GPS and electronic tilt measurements, or swelling of the Kanlaon edifice since March 2022, with increased inflation of its eastern and southeastern flank.
That indicates slow but sustained pressurization within the volcano, it further said.
The current monitoring parameters warn of shallow magmatic processes beneath the volcano that are actively driving unrest, causing persistent and increasing concentrations of volcanic gas emission, swelling of the edifice and persistent volcanic earthquake activity, PHIVOLCS also said.
It strongly advised the public to be vigilant and avoid entry into the four-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) to minimize risks from volcanic hazards such as pyroclastic density currents, ballistic projectiles, rockfall, and others.
Civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash and ballistic fragments from sudden eruptions can be hazardous to aircraft. (Gilbert Bayoran via tvds)