ALBAY-FB NEWS: Volcanologists validating reports of springs surrounding Mount Mayon drying up By Mar S. Arguelles and Rey Nasol LEGAZPI CITY, June 5 (PNA) -- Volcanologists are gathering scientific data to validate reports that springs surrounding Mayon volcano are drying up despite the onset of the rainy season, claiming these are signs that the volcano’s abnormalities have intensified, an official of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Wednesday. Eduardo Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist, said a team has been conducting physical observations since Monday in Barangays Budiao and Salvacion in Daraga town, some eight kilometers from the crater of Mayon, as part of the continuous monitoring of the abnormalities of the volcano. Laguerta said they have already conducted drilling operations at the two sites to determine the water level, which was believed to have receded -- causing the decrease in the water supply to 8,014 households in Daraga town alone. He added that the drilling operations are vital in the array of parameters to consider whether to further raise the alert level or maintain it under level 1, which was raised last weekend after crater glows were already observed during night time. He added that they are still validating reports that the water table of the Daraga Water District reservoir in Barangay Budiao has been receding due to the volcano’s restive state. Laguerta said they were investigating this report as “we have to establish a scientific basis whether the drying up of springs is either weather related or caused by the volcano’s abnormal behavior.” As a result of this latest development, he said, the Phivolcs will be installing instruments to scientifically determine how the volcano’s abnormality indeed affect the water table of springs, wells and other water sources. Laguerta said one explanation for the drying up of springs and eventual decrease in water table of water sources may be due to the bulging or inflation in the volcano edifice brought by magmatic or steam buildup. He said they conducted drilling operations to measure whether the water levels had been affected by magmatic activity. Laguerta observed that the drying up of a water source would depend on magmatic activity as the magma, which is still deep inside the volcano’s vent, would slow down the flow of the water level while if the magma is near the ground level it loosens the water level to its regular volume. The volcanologist said this observation could be the explanation for the small springs drying up and the drop in the water output at the Budiao spring. The same drying up of wells was also observed by farmers in other areas such as Guinobatan and Camalig towns but their officials have yet to confirm and await Phivolcs’ advice on the matter. These were similar observations experienced prior to the 1992 and 2009 eruptions. Engineer Abundio Balde, Daraga Water District engineering department chief, observed that the volume of water has dropped by 11 percent from 8,399 cubic meters to 8,100 cubic meters last month while its water pressure also dropped by 22 percent from March to April. Citing water district data, Balde said water volume was strong during the months of February to April while a decreasing trend is observed during the months of May to December. Laguerta said Mayon volcano continues to show signs of restiveness as exhibited by moderate emission of white steam plumes, faint crater glow and bulging edifice in the volcano’s northeast flank in Barangay Buang, Tabaco City, and the southeast portion in Barangay Lidong, Sto Domingo town. The volcano’s alert status remains at Alert Level 1 (abnormal). The 6-km permanent danger zone (PDZ) remains off-limits to the public due to possible sudden rock falls, landslides, avalanches, ash puffs and steam- driven or phreatic eruption from the summit. Laguerta said the volcano has remained silent since Tuesday and there was no significant change in its parameters during the past monitoring period. Phivolcs raised the alert level at Mayon from zero to level-1 late Friday afternoon after a faint crater glow was observed, a slight inflation as well as an ash explosion last May 7 that killed four European tourists and a local guide.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:51:19 +0000
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