• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has reported heightened activity of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island, but its status remains at Alert Level 2 or heightened volcanic unrest.
Daryll Arro, science research analyst of Phivolcs based in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, said Tuesday they have monitored the occurrence of 31 volcano-tectonic quakes (VT) as of Sept. 30, from only seven quakes in the previous monitoring.
Arro said they further recorded eight more VT quakes, from past midnight to 11:30 a.m. yesterday.
“This would indicate a possible rising of magma, fluid or gas to the crater,” he added.
Sulfur dioxide emissions were also noted to have increased to 1,141 tons on Sept. 29 compared to 1,027 tons on Sept. 28.
Plumes reached 150 meters from the summit before drifting southwest.
With this heightened activity, Arro raised the possibility of ash emission and minor eruption of the volcano.
The basis for it is not the number of VT quakes, but how strong it is, he said.
He added that the strongest VT quake was recorded at 2.7 magnitude on Tuesday.
Ground deformation is still noted at Kanlaon Volcano, which means that the ground around it is swelling or bulging outward. | GB
