• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Thursday, May 14 that the “banaag” or crater glow observed at Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island should not immediately be taken as a sign of an impending hazardous eruption.
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said the crater glow alone is not sufficient basis to conclude that a hazardous eruption may occur, explaining that the phenomenon is caused by superheated volcanic materials inside the crater.
Bacolcol noted that several factors may have contributed to the visibility of the crater glow, including the temperature of volcanic gases, volume of emissions, cloud conditions, and clearer night-time visibility.
He said Phivolcs continues to closely monitor other critical volcanic parameters such as volcanic earthquakes, ground deformation, sulfur dioxide emissions, and eruption activity.
In the last 24 hours, state volcanologists recorded 31 volcanic earthquakes at Kanlaon Volcano.
Phivolcs also noted that ash emissions, which had persisted for seven consecutive days, have not been observed since May 12.
Bacolcol said current monitoring parameters remain consistent with Alert Level 2, which indicates that Kanlaon Volcano remains under moderate unrest.
He added that the crater glow currently being observed ranges from “fair to faint.”
Authorities reminded residents living near the volcano to remain vigilant although the phenomenon is not yet considered an indication of a major eruption.
Since Nov. 4, 2024, intermittent superheated volcanic gas emissions have been detected at night through infrared monitoring, according to Phivolcs. | GB
