Lava fountaining observed at Mayon — PHIVOLCS

A short-lived lava fountaining was observed at the Mayon Volcano in Albay on Monday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

In an advisory, PHIVOLCS said the event was observed from 3:32 am to 7:10 am.

The volcano is now on its 70th consecutive day of effusive eruption, which produces incandescent lava flows, pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), locally called uson, and rockfalls.

In a separate 24-hour monitoring report covering up to 12 am Monday, lava effusion was also observed.

Lava flows reached 3.8 kilometers (km) in the Basud gully, 3.2 km in Bonga, and 1.3 km in Mi-si, according to PHIVOLCS.

PHIVOLCS also recorded short-lived lava fountaining and minor Strombolian activity from the volcano during the monitoring period.

The volcano also generated 539 volcanic earthquakes, 290 rockfall events, and seven PDCs.

A sulfur dioxide flux of 1,220 tonnes per day was also recorded, along with a 200-meter plume above the crater drifting westward.

Mayon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, which indicates intensified or magmatic unrest, PHIVOLCS said.

The agency continues to warn the public not to enter the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) due to possible hazards such as rockfalls and ballistic fragments. — Edg Adrian A. Eva