Mayon lava dome gets bigger

By Rudy Brul | Oct. 19, 2014

THE lava dome that has formed at the crater of Mayon volcano is now as large as a 10-storey building and is already visible to the naked eye, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Saturday.

Science research specialist Riza Villeza of the Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division estimated the lava dome to have a volume of 855,854 cubic meters at a height of 45 meters.

READY TO EXPLODE.The lava dome of restive
Mayon Volcano has grown to the size of a
10-storey building and the authorities are
being urged to be stricter in implementing the
danger zones around the volcano.
PHIVOLCS PHOTO

The lava dome started to sneak up from the hollow crater last August 12 when Phivolcs raised the monitoring alarm to Alert Level 2. Phivolcs raised the alert status to Level 3 last September 15.

"Actually, Mayon is not really the perfect cone that it is renowned for. There is a big crevice at its summit. It only looks like perfect from afar," Villeza said.

But now the lava dome has started to sneak into full view and is already visible from Legaspi City at volcano's southeast side.

It looks like the dome of the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and partially covers the open crater of the volcano, which stands at 2,463 meters.

The swelling increased last Wednesday when Phivolcs monitored ground deflation at the base of the volcano, indicating that the magma has started to move up to the crater.

Villeza said the ground deflation of negative 2.48 millimeters from positive 4.21 millimeters last Oct. 6 suggested that the magma at the base has started to leave its holding.

At the same time, Villeza said the low volume of gas emission suggests that the swelling lava dome has been blocking the escape of sulfur dioxide from inside the volcano.

Yesterday's sulfur dioxide emission was measured at 259 tons per day, which is way below the peak emission of 2,360 tons per day last Sept. 6.

Meanwhile, the Albay provincial government asked Phivolcs to help mark the danger zones around the restive volcano to guide patrol teams and also deter residents from returning to their homes.

"In order for us to be assured that they refrain from going back to their respective houses we have established choke points and foot patrols at the strategic locations around the volcano to serve as deterrent to those who still insist in returning back," Albay Gov. Joey Salceda wrote Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr.

"However, the (primary) problem arising during apprehension the lack of permanent marker delineating the danger zone hence creating arguments during apprehension," Salceda said.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/10/19/mayon-lava-dome-gets-bigger/
--