Watch Phivolcs: Mayon Volcano now 'very intense'

MANILA, Philippines - Mayon Volcano's activity has become "very intense"
with stronger volcanic earthquakes and continuous lava fountaining, the
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Tuesday
morning.
"Earthquake signals are more intensive and bigger in size compared
to Monday's record," Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum told ANC's
News@8.
Solidum said the volcano has been covered by thick clouds since
Monday, but the rumbling sounds and stronger earthquake signals indicate that
lava fountaining was continuous.
He said the Phivolcs' monitoring team was
able to actually see the fountaining of lava during 2 cloud breaks at 6 p.m.
Monday.
Phivolcs' bulletin issued at 7 a.m. Tuesday, said the volcano
"continued to show an intense level of activity during the past 24 hours." It
said a total of 1,266 volcanic earthquakes were detected during the 24-hour
observation time.
"Many of these volcanic earthquakes were recorded at
maximum deflection and have continuously occurred since 12:21 p.m., 20 December
2009 (Sunday). Harmonic tremors were still continuously being recorded," the
Phivolcs bulletin said.
The bulletin added that the volcano's sulfur dioxide
emission rate remained "very high," measuring to an average of 6,529 tons per
day.
It said red hot lava has continously 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.
The alert
level hoisted over Mayon Volcano was raised from 3 to 4 on Sunday afternoon.
Alert Level 4 means "a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within
days."
The increased alert level prompted authorities to hasten the
evacuation of a total of 9,946 families or 47,285 residents from 45 villages
located within the 6-kilometer to 8-kilometer danger zones of Mayon
Volcano.
The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council of Albay reported that
a total of 9,428 families have been evacuated from the danger zones.
With
majority of the residents evacuated, Solidum said authorities are now more
concerned of the ashfall produced by the volcano's intense activity.
"That is
the more dangerous part because its very fine ash. During explosions [lava]
fragments are quite big, but the main problem of the eruption from a distance is
the very fine ash," he said, adding that fine ash produces more hazardous
effects to humans.

source Abs-cbn