Phivolcs: Mayon eruption ‘quiet, gentle’ but alert level 3 remains

by Arlie O. CAlAlO ManilaTimes.net

MAYON Volcano continues to erupt "in a gentle and quiet" mode as alert level 3 remains, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Tuesday, June 20. Phivolcs director Teresito "Toto" Bacolcol told The Manila Times via Viber that the agency is still closely monitoring Mayon's behavior, especially its parameters which are the bases for downgrading or raising its alert status.

At present, Bacolcol said Level 3 stays over the volcano which means that there remains a relatively high unrest and an increased tendency toward hazardous eruption.

"What we see are low-level parameters, largely similar to its 2014 effusive eruption," he said. An effusive eruption is dominated by the outpouring, fountaining or ejection of fluid lava, the magma has low viscosity or it is runny, making gas escape easily, according to Phivolcs.

"Effusive eruption involves the gentle release of lava on the edifice of the volcano," Bacolcol said.

In the past 24 hours, the Mayon Volcano Network (MVN) said that very slow effusion of lava from its summit crater continued to feed lava flows and collapse debris on the Mi-isi (south) and Bonga (southeastern) gullies. The MVN said that a total of two dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) that lasted two to three minutes, 301