Kanlaon Volcano appears to have calmed down since its eruption Monday but it is no indication that another eruption will not occur, a Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology official warned on Thursday, Dec. 12.
“We cannot be complacent, it could be the calm before the storm,” Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol, who joined an aerial survey of the volcano on Thursday, said.
He pointed out that when Kanlaon erupted on Monday, Dec. 9, weak sulfur dioxide emissions and six weak volcanic tectonic earthquakes were observed.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Western Visayas said initial findings from the aerial survey on Thursday showed that all Kanlaon’s ash emission and eruptive activity have been from the summit crater and no fissure or vent was observed to have developed on the northern summit flank, which is difficult to view.
Evident Pyroclastic Density Current deposits exist within the permanent danger zone, the mapping of which will be greatly aided by footage and photos obtained through the aerial survey, it said.
Slight volcanic smog was observed from the western side of the volcano, the OCD also reported.
Bacolcol said Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 3 that means a possible eruption could still occur.
“There is always a possibility that there may be hazardous eruption” he said, that would mean raising Kanlaon’s Alert Level to 4.
“We don’t want that to happen this Christmas but we cannot control the behavior of the volcano,” he said.
On the possibility of the evacuees being able to go home for Christmas, he said, Phivolcs really has to analyze the situation on a day to day basis.
He said Kanlaon has had only one recorded magmatic eruption in 1902.
Bacolcol reminded the public not to fall victim to a lot of fake news circulating about the state of Kanlaon.*