• CHERYL G. CRUZ
A series of earthquakes hit the Negros Island on Election Day, with magnitude 3.2 logged in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, at 3:59 p.m., the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
Magnitude 3.0 was recorded in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, at 3:20 p.m. May 12.
The rest of the 21 quakes logged for the day, as of 8 p.m., ranged from magnitude 2.3 to 1.4.
The Phivolcs also issued a notice of increased seismic activity at Mount Kanlaon at 1:30 p.m., with 72 volcanic earthquakes recorded by the Kanlaon Volcano Network between 12 a.m. and 12 p.m. May 12.
A total of 135 volcanic earthquakes have been recorded since 12 a.m. May 11, including relatively strong volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes. Volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emissions from the summit crater, meanwhile, averaged 554 tonnes/day, while a decline in the average sulfur dioxide emission was also noted, from 4,144 since June 3, 2024 to 2,114 since April 1, this year.
“These parameters indicate that the blockage of volcanic gas emission, or closed-system degassing, may result in pressurization and swelling of the edifice, potentially leading to moderately explosive eruption at Kanlaon,” the Phivolcs explained.
Alert Level 3 prevailed over Kanlaon since Dec. 9, 2024, which means that the volcano is in a state of magmatic unrest. “Currently, there are increased chances of short-lived, moderately explosive eruptions occurring, that could generate life-threatening volcanic hazards.”
Phivolcs recommended that communities within the six-km radius from the summit crater remain evacuated due to the danger of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), ballistic projectiles, ashfall, rockfall, and other related hazards.
Local government units, on the other hand, must continue to prepare communities within the PDC hazard zone for subsequent evacuation in case unrest further escalates and hazardous worst-case explosive eruption becomes imminent, the Phivolcs added. | CGC
