Big Bang seen in a few days
Posted by JAC on 12/23/2009, 8:22 am
http://210.185.184.53/ndccWeb/images/ndccWeb/ndcc_update/Mt_Mayon/DECEMBER/sitrep%20no%2013%20re%20mayon%20volcano%20as%20of%2023%20dec%207pm.pdf



Mayon behavior studied for raising highest alert

BY ANGELA LOPEZ DE LEON

THE alert at Mayon volcano in Albay might be raised to Level 5 in the next few days because of the continuing trend of increasing volcanic activities, the Philippine Institute on Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said yesterday.

"We are observing the volcano for more intensified lava fountaining followed by a tall voluminous eruption ash column with collapse pyroclastic flow and occurrence of perceptible quakes," said Jaime Sincioco, officer-in-charge of Phivolcs' Volcano Monitoring Division. "These are the 'critical signs' that we are waiting before officially raising the status to Level 5."

Level 5 means hazardous eruption is ongoing.

According to the Phivolcs website, this also means occurrence of pyroclastic flows, tall eruption columns and extensive ashfall. Pyroclastic flows may sweep down along gullies and channels, especially along those fronting the low parts of the crater rim.

Sincioco said there are still no surface manifestations like voluminous eruption columns that could cause hazardous pyroclastic flows and perceptible earthquakes.

When loud explosions are heard and earthquakes near the volcano are felt by residents in Legazpi, that would be the right time to hoist alert Level 5, he said.

Sincioco said the recorded earthquakes and harmonic tremors were detected only by seismographs and not felt.

In the past 24-hour monitoring period (7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday), Mayon continued to show an intense level of activity.

The seismic network recorded a total of 1,266 volcanic earthquakes.

Many of these volcanic earthquakes were recorded at maximum deflection and have continuously occurred since 12:21 p.m. Sunday. Harmonic tremors were still continuously being recorded.

Sulfur dioxide emission rate remained very high and was measured at an average of 6,529 tons per day on Monday.

Phivolcs said visual observation was hampered by thick clouds covering the upper and middle slopes of the volcano since 6 a.m. Monday. However, an intensified crater glow was observed during a short cloud break Monday night.

Phivolcs said audible booming and rumbling sounds were still being intermittently heard.

It said red hot lava also continuously flowed down along the Bonga-Buyuan, Miisi and Lidong gullies.

The lava front has reached about 5 kilometers downslope from the summit along the Bonga-Buyuan gully.

Phivolcs reiterated the extended danger zone of eight kilometers from the summit at the southern sector and seven km at northern sector should be free from human activity because of sudden explosions that may generate hazardous volcanic flows.

Areas outside of the extended danger zone should also be prepared for evacuation.

With the imminent eruption, the health department place health facilities in the Bicol region on blue alert.

Under blue alert, medical personnel will be on duty 24 hours a day while hospitals and community health units should be prepared to accept patients at all times.

Aside from preparing the medical facilities, the DOH also augmented supplies of drugs, facemasks and medicines to affected areas, and replenished pre-positioned medicines.

Health personnel also began to conduct psychosocial debriefing both for those affected and responders.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said his department has constructed 12 disaster-resistant buildings in Bicol, which can withstand severe weather condition. Three of these are now being used as evacuation centers.

Fourteen schools in five towns (Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot, and Sto. Domingo), are used as evacuation centers, five in Legazpi City, six in Tabaco City, and two in Ligao City.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said it completed road maintenance activities like ditch cleaning and asphalt patching in Bicol to ensure delivery of relief goods.

Free from obstructions and open to traffic are Maharlika highway from boundary Milaor-San Fernando-Tara, Sipocot to the boundary of Camarines Sur; Andaya highway in Camarines Norte from Tara-Sipocot to boundary Del Gallego-Tagcawayan, Quezon; two secondary national roads in Danao-Pasacao road section; and the Sipocot-Barcelonita road.

DPWH Secretary Victor Domingo said Maharlika and Andaya highways connect the Bicol region to Metro Manila and are the main routes of joint relief operations of the national, local and non- government agencies. - With Gerard Naval, Ashzel Hachero and Genivi Factao







Philippine National Police officers wear face masks to avoid volcanic ash shrouding Guinobatan township near the restive Mayon volcano in Albay peovince, about 500 kilometers southeast of Manila, Philippines Tuesday Dec. 22, 2009. A mild ashfall is being felt in Guinobatan and nearby towns as the country's most active volcano continue to spew ash since last week.
AP Photo


Filipino troops try to keep volcano evacuees safe

By BULLIT MARQUEZ
Associated Press Writer

Updated: December 23, 2009, 8:17 AM

Police and soldiers donned Santa hats and red clown noses and belted out songs in crammed evacuation centers in hopes of keeping 47,000 displaced residents from sneaking back to their homes on the slopes of a lava-spilling volcano.

Despite the risk of an imminent explosive eruption of the 8,070-foot (2,460-meter) Mayon, which has been oozing lava and blasting ash for a week, some residents weary of temporary shelters are conspiring to go back to their abandoned villages for traditional Christmas Eve family gatherings. Others want to retrieve their livestock or harvest crops.

"We are not used to spending Christmas in the evacuation center," said Ramon Ayala, 48, whose home lies within a five-mile (eight-kilometer) zone around Mayon that authorities emptied last week when the volcano started rumbling.

"We and many others plan to spend Christmas Eve in our homes," Ayala said.

Authorities are determined to make sure it does not happen.

"I have set a very high bar, which is zero casualty," said Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay province in the central Philippines. "If there's a lull and you step back into the danger zone, you'll immediately be escorted out."

Mayon volcano has erupted nearly 40 times over 400 years, sending people packing for months at a time. But never has it happened during the most important event in the Philippine calendar - Christmas time, which is associated with family, food, friends and songs.

To keep the blues away, dozens of police officers dressed in Santa hats and clown costumes, crooned songs and led dancing to a popular pop tune in one school. In another area, soldiers handed toys to children.

The government tapped police, army, navy and air force personnel to organize bingo and other games, show movies on big projectors, hold concerts and Bible readings - "anything that will entertain the evacuees," said Jukes Nunez, a provincial disaster management official.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited the area Wednesday.

Although Mayon has been in a mild eruption phase since last week, chief state volcanologist Renato Solidum said it may be getting ready for something more powerful. But he said the explosion would not be as big as that of Mount Pinatubo in the northern Philippines in 1991, considered one of the biggest eruptions of the last century. About 800 people were killed.

Mayon shot up columns of ash at least 66 times in the last 24 hours, one reaching almost a mile (1 kilometer) into the cloudy sky, accompanied by 1,051 volcanic earthquakes - slightly less than the previous day, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

State volcanologist Ed Laguerta said lava ejected since last week amounted to nearly 706 million cubic feet (20 million cubic meters) - less than half of what Mayon spilled during the last eruption of 2006. Lava flows reached about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the crater.

"The earthquakes and tremors, the gas output and those rumbling and booming sounds and series of mild ash explosions ... are the parameters which point to a higher percentage of a hazardous eruption happening," Laguerta said.

Solidum said Mayon's alert level, currently at one step below a hazardous eruption, will be raised if taller ash columns appear together with the rolling of rocks and ash.

The 47,000 evacuees account for nearly all residents living along Mayon's steep slopes, but soldiers were still checking villages to make sure no holdouts were hiding in their homes, said Nunez.

Residents who attempt to sneak back will be stopped at checkpoints, he said.

Associated Press writers Teresa Cerojano and Hrvoje Hranjski in Manila contributed to this report.



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Mayon activities intensify - JAC, 12/18/2009, 1:18 pm
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