The Kanlaon Volcano crater.*File photo from Task Force Kanlaon
Kanlaon Volcano’s rising magma is now less than five kilometers from the crater and is being closely monitored, Teresito Bacolcol, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director, said on Monday, Feb 10.
It could lead to an explosive eruption or its rise could halt, he said.
Phivolcs is saying that the magma is less than 5 kilometers from Kanlaon’s crater based of various parameters, including data from their tilt meters and Electronic Distance Measurement, he said.
There are three scenarios that can happen, he said.
The first scenario could be the slow rise of the magma that could lead to lava flowing out of Kanlaon’s crater with no explosive eruption and with limited damage. If that happens the volcano will remain at Alert Level 3, Bacolcol said.
Magma is molten rock that is underground and lava is molten rock that breaks through the Earth’s surface.
The second scenario could be the swift rise of the magma caused by a blocked conduit that could lead to a strong eruption with hazardous pyroclastic density current, he said.
This could lead to Kanlaon’s being placed under Alert Level 4 with the danger zone extended to 10 kilometers, he said.
This activity could swiftly end unlike the first scenario that could last six months like what happened at Mayon Volcano, Bacolcol said.
The third scenario is the magma will stop moving and eventually the activity will end, and the alert level can be reduced from three to two, Bacolcol said.
The eastern side of Kanlaon is inflated, and if all sides inflate it would mean continuous rise of the magma, he added.*