Lava on Mayon, December 2009, with Legazpi City in the foreground.
The mainstream media has picked up on the activity at Mayon - I've seen it splashed across CNN, FoxNews, ABC, BBC and others. Most of the coverage has been decent, however, I do worry when I see that people have found Eruptions using search terms like "Mayon supervolcano". I think that is when we worry that the made-for-TV word like "supervolcano" has gotten a little overused, when people worry every volcanic eruption might be a "supervolcano."
On to the update!
Explosions have continued unabated at Mayon, with the explosive plume reaching 500 m / 1600 feet - which is small fry in the realms of ash plumes, but indicates that the volcano might still be "clearing its throat" as it were. Renato Solidum of PHIVOLCS gave this warning: "There is the possibility that it can turn into the explosive phase of the eruption", which I would assume he means a true Plinian phase. The continuing explosions, lava extrusion (see video below) and high levels of seismicity mean that the evacuations for the area will continue. Almost 30,000 people have already been moved.
The BBC posted some video of the eruption and from that, it looks pretty clear to me that the lava flow isn't as much low viscosity flows as crumbling, glowing dome rock. You can see the tumbling chunks of lava rolling down the mountain - an event like this is like to produce a lot of hot "block-and-ash" flow deposits with plenty of breadcrust bombs.
- Log in to post comments
Ash explosions shake restive volcano in eastern Philippines
Manila - Ash explosions shook a restive volcano in the eastern Philippines Wednesday as frightened residents fled their homes, the government said. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in one of the explosions of Mayon volcano in Albay province, 360 kilometres south-east of Manila, the ashes reached as high as 500 metres above the crater.
The agency said 78 volcanic earthquakes and tremors were recorded overnight and molten lava rolled down continuously from Mayon's crater.
It added that the incandescent lava front has reached at least 800 metres down the slope of the volcano.
"The volcanic earthquakes represent magma ascent towards the crater of the volcano," the agency said in a statement. "If the trend is one of increasing unrest, hazardous volcanic eruption is possible within weeks."
Albay Governor Joey Salceda said more than 22,000 people had been moved to evacuation centres by late Tuesday and thousands more would be evacuated within the next two days.
"I have ordered food to be prepared for the evacuees," he said. "They have to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve in evacuation centres."
Raffy Alejandro, a regional director of the Office of Civil Defence, said the evacuation's target was a total of 47,285 people or 9,946 families from six municipalities around the volcano.
The 2,472-metre volcano has erupted about 50 times since 1616. It last erupted in July 2006, forcing more than 30,000 people to flee their homes.
Mayon's most violent eruption was in 1814 when more than 1,200 people were killed and a town was buried in volcanic mud. An eruption in 1993 killed 79 people.
from here
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/299546,ash-explosions-shake-res…
I have to admit, those pictures of Mayon with the Lava flowing down and its beautiful shape are superb.
Poor Erik - you worry so much about how much people worry.
Let the networks have some fun scaring people. Those nice symetric stratocones erupt 99 times nicely, building up the cone steadily, for every 1 time they blow up like Somma or St Helens. Let em hype their "fiery glowing tongue of molten destructive lava". A few people will surf into your site and maybe find out about the VEI Index and really learn something.
Now whats this about 20 some odd other active volcanoes in the Phillippines?
Looks like another volcno just erupted. Does not have to do with Mayon but I thought I would give everyone a heads up.
Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 69-09
Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 22:30 UTC (Thursday, December 17, 10:30 KST)
SUMMARY OF AVIATION COLOR CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55°58'N, 160°36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
AVIATION COLOR CODE IS RED
PREVIOUS AVIATION COLOR CODE WAS YELLOW
According to seismic data, an explosive eruption of the volcano began at 21: 45 UTC on December 16. Ash explosions > 10.0 km (>32,800 ft)ASL could occur at any time. The activity of the volcano could affect international and low-flying aircraft.
Seismic activity of the volcano began to increase from December 08, but a size of thermal anomaly - from December 16. At 17:07 UTC on December 16, a size of the thermal anomaly was 6 pixels and the temperature was +19.4 with -23 of background. No visual and video data - the volcano obscured by clouds. But possibly ash fall began occur at Kozyrevsk village from 22:25 UTC on December 16.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/bzm/index.html
A VAA was issued for the eruption. Looks like the ash plume is 32,000 feet asl which is pretty high.
Received FVFE01 at 23:41 UTC, 16/12/09 from RJTD
VA ADVISORY
DTG: 20091216/2341Z
VAAC: TOKYO
VOLCANO: BEZYMIANNY 1000-25
PSN: N5559E16035
AREA: RUSSIA
SUMMIT ELEV: 2882M
ADVISORY NR: 2009/2
INFO SOURCE: MTSAT-1R KVERT
AVIATION COLOUR CODE: NIL
ERUPTION DETAILS: ERUPTION AT 20091216/2145Z FL320 WAS REPORTED.
OBS VA DTG: 16/2232Z
OBS VA CLD: UNKNOWN/FL320 N5619E16012-N5633E15943-N5616E15916-N5602E1
5938 MOV W 60KT
FCST VA CLD +6HR: 17/0432Z SFC/FL200 N5700E15230-N5700E15630-N5530E15
630-N5530E15230 FL200/350 N5733E15225-N5730E15500-N5630E15500-N5529E1
5307-N5530E15100-N5630E15100 FL350/550 NO VA EXP
FCST VA CLD +12HR: 17/1032Z SFC/FL200 N5600E14700-N5600E15300-N5400E1
5300-N5400E14700 FL200/350 N5528E14327-N5656E14852-N5700E15000-N5554E
14957-N5333E14737-N5330E14330 FL350/550 NO VA EXP
FCST VA CLD +18HR: 17/1632Z SFC/FL200 N5248E14327-N5430E14801-N5430E1
5100-N5256E15057-N5127E14432-N5130E14330 FL200/350 N5418E13758-N5533E
14455-N5530E14630-N5424E14625-N5131E14401-N5130E13800 FL350/550 NO
VA
EXP
RMK: NIL
NXT ADVISORY: 20091217/0600Z=
maganda sana ang paglabas ng lava kaso. Ito ay nakakasira sa kabuhanyan ng taga legaspi.so they should have to evacute so that they can protect their selves in the tragedy.
And another philliphine volcano, Kanlaon, is restness from a few months ago with increased seismicity.
I mean "restless"
i dont get it you get all kind of volcanos a round the word that eruption but has soon has you come too the USA your not geting any volcanos eruptioning why is that not saying am wanting one too eruption but it would be cool too see one do
David: USA's got plenty of active volcanoes. What about Kilauea? Or all the Aleutian volcanoes like Cleveland, Shishaldin, Redoubt, Pavlof, etc etc?
Or do you mean the "lower 48"? Given their eruptive style, not sure that another Cascades eruption would be widely welcomed (volcanophiles apart) And let's not even whisper about Yellowstone or Long Valley
talking about Yellowstone i found this
Yellowstone's Plumbing Reveals Plume of Hot and Molten Rock 410 Miles Deep
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214075225.htm
sorry yes i mean the lower 48
I would love to see the fiery cream of mayon with our pint size malificent president in it and all her legions!!!
the AMPATUANS too.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Its a wonderfull site the world to speculate!
I will storm the heavens with my prayers that my brothers and sisters will be safe...
MERRRRRRRRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS!
David was unhappy that we don't have active volcanoes in the lower 48 states of the USA. We do. Mount Saint Helens and Mount Baker are both active volcanoes- they just aren't blowing up like Bezymiyanni, and Mayon may well do. Baker puts out 200 tons of CO2 per day, and the fumaroles are constantly emitting gas and steam. They roar like jet engines, 24/7, and the gas plume is frequently visible from the populated lowlands of the Salish Sea. Check out the MBVRC website: www.mbvrc.wwu.edu
Dave Tucker
Bellingham, WA
USA
This is a nice site! I`m sitting in the north of Sweden where there are really no volcanoes at all! And I am looking fore sites where I can follow volcanoes all
over the world on a Daily basis; so if you knowe some more sites, please let me know.
A consumer may do perversive to a housecat but must fight for the libber
Hey that's an amazing insight on the subject, thanks so much! never heard it more clear.
Before I couldn't view this whole site on my friends PC. Every time I found the site and attempted to view it, I was with an404 error page. NowI'm not sure if this is relevant or if this had anything to do with it but I was using the IE 6 Browser and I'm not using that on this computer so maybe that was the reason it didn't work??
Pathetic for that vast evaluation, yet My business is surely loving the new Zune, and optimism that, as well as the excellent analysis other technicians produced, would help you determine whenever it's the acceptable choice to suit your needs
What you said seems sensible. However, picture this, what happens if you included a little bit more? I mean, I do not tend to teach how you can run ur blog, however if you added something which can certainly grab people's awareness? Just simply like a online video or possibly a snapshot or perhaps 2 for getting people interested about what you mentioned.
I'm still learning from you, as I'm trying to reach my goals. I certainly love reading all that is posted on your blog.Keep the posts coming. I enjoyed it
Gee, that might mean Truthful MLM is all over the place we simply don't see it along the lines of a MLM company.