• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reiterated its warning of a possible explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, following three ash emission events on January 3 and 6.
Mari-Andylene Quintia, resident volcanologist of PHIVOLCS Kanlaon Volcano Observatory in La Carlota City, disclosed that an ash emission event, which started at 5:55 a.m. until 9:25 a.m. on Tuesday, lasted almost three hours and 30 minutes.
The event generated grayish plumes that rose to 350 meters above the crater before drifting southwest, as captured by an IP camera at Kanlaon Volcano Observatory–Canlaon City (KVO-CC) stations. Alert Level 2 remains in effect over Kanlaon Volcano, while entry to the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone is strictly prohibited by PHIVOLCS.
Quintia raised the possibility of ash fall either in areas of Bago or La Carlota, as a result of the ash emission.
On Jan. 3, Phivolcs also recorded two ash emissions at Kanlaon Volcano.
Although the Kanlaon activity lasted for more than one hour, it only spewed weak ash emission at the upper edifice of the volcano, according to Quintia.*
