Mayon volcano. Photo courtesy of Camalig Information Office.
Mayon Volcano continued to show signs of unrest on Thursday as volcanic ash and debris flowed down parts of its slopes, according to state volcanologists.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that a pyroclastic density current moved through the Mi-isi Gully on the volcano’s southwestern side at around 8:39 a.m.
The event was captured on monitoring footage and was linked to collapsing volcanic materials from the crater area.
Pyroclastic density currents are rapidly moving mixtures of hot gases, ash, and fragmented rocks produced during volcanic eruptions.
Phivolcs said lava continued to flow through the Basud and Mi-isi gullies, reaching around 3.2 kilometers and 1.6 kilometers, respectively.
The volcano also produced intermittent ash emissions and minor eruptive activity over the past 24 hours.
Monitoring data recorded 10 volcanic earthquakes, including six tremor episodes lasting between two and 34 minutes, along with 297 rockfall events.
Ashfall continued to affect parts of Albay, with earlier estimates showing that about 8,544 hectares had been covered by volcanic deposits. Phivolcs maintained Alert Level 3 over Mayon Volcano, indicating heightened magmatic unrest, and reiterated that entry into the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone remains prohibited.