Mayon

Mayon (Central Bicolano: Bulkan Mayon, Tagalog: Bulkang Mayon, Spanish: Monte Mayón), also known as Mayon
Volcano or Mount Mayon, also, Magayon (Central Bicolano: Bulkan Magayon, Tagalog: Bulkang Magayon, Spanish:
Monte Magayón), also known as Magayon Volcano or Mount Magayon[4], is a sacred[5] and active stratovolcano
in the province of Albay in Bicol Region, on the

large island of Luzon in the Philippines. Renowned as the "perfect cone" because of its symmetric conical shape,
the volcano with its surrounding landscape was declared a national park on July 20, 1938, the first in the nation. It
was reclassified a Natural Park and renamed as the Mayon Volcano Natural Park in 2000.[6] It is said that the
volcano grew from the burial grounds of lovers Magayon and Pangaronon. Thus, the ancient Bicolanos named it
after the legendary princess-heroine Daragang Magayon (English: Beautiful Lady). After some time, the volcano
was chosen as the abode of the supreme god of the Bicolano people,

Gugurang, who also chose Mayon as the repository of the sacred fire of Ibalon.[7] Numerous festivals and rituals
are associated with the volcano and its landscape.[8] The volcano is the centerpiece of the Albay Biosphere
Reserve, declared by UNESCO in 2016,[9] and is currently being nominated as a World Heritage Site.

Recorded eruptions

Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines, erupting over 47 times in the past 500 years.[12] The first
eruption for which an extended account exists was the six-day event of July 20, 1766.[13][14] R

1814 eruption

The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814 (VEI=4). Lava flowed but less than the 1766
eruption. The volcano belched dark ash and eventually bombarded the town of Cagsawa with tephra that buried it.
Trees burned, and rivers were certainly

An old photograph of the Cagsawa ruins with the façade still standing. The church was largely destroyed during the
1814 eruption of Mayon. Only the bell tower exists today.

damaged. Proximate areas were also devastated by the eruption, with ash accumulating to in depth. In Cagsawa,
1,200 locals perished in what is considered to be the most lethal eruption in Mayon's history according to
PHIVOLCS. The eruption is believed to have contributed to the accumulation of atmospheric ash together with the
catastrophic 1815 eruption of other volcanoes like Indonesia's Mount Tambora, leading to the Year Without a
Summer in 1816.

1881–1882 eruption

From July 6, 1881, until approximately August 1882, Mayon underwent a strong (VEI=3) eruption. Samuel
Kneeland, a naturalist, professor and geologist, personally observed the volcanic activity on Christmas Day, 1881,
about five months after the start of the activity:

At the date of my visit, the volcano had poured out, for five months continuously, a stream of lava on the Legaspi
side from the very summit. The viscid mass bubbled quietly but grandly, and overran the border

of the crater, descending several hundred feet in a glowing wave, like red-hot iron. Gradually, fading as the upper
surface cooled, it changed to a thousand sparkling rills among the crevices, and, as it passed beyond the line of
complete vision behind the woods near the base, the fires twinkled like stars, or the scintillions of a dying
conflagration. More than half of the mountain height was thus illuminated.[15]

1897 eruption

Mayon's longest uninterrupted eruption occurred on June 23, 1897 (VEI=4), which rained fire for seven days. Lava
once again flowed down to civilization. Eleven kilometers (7 miles) eastward, the village of Bacacay was buried
15 m (49 ft) beneath the lava. In Santo Domingo 100 people were killed by steam and falling

Mount Mayon in eruption on July 21, 1897

debris or hot rocks. Other villages like San Roque, Sta. Misericordia and Santo Niño became deathtraps. Ash was
carried in black clouds as far as 160 kilometres (99 mi) from the catastrophic event, which killed more than 400
people.[11]

1984 and 1993 eruptions

No casualties were recorded from the 1984 eruption after more than 73,000

The eruption on September 23, 1984

people were evacuated from the danger zones as recommended by PHIVOLCS scientists.[16] But in 1993,
pyroclastic flows killed 75 people, mainly farmers, during the eruption.[17]

1999 eruption

At June 22, 1999 Mayon emitted an ash column that rose 7–10 km above the vent. The emission was recorded by
the seismic network of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology as an explosion that lasted for 10
minutes. No volcanic earthquakes nor other visible

signs of abnormal activity were observed before the explosion.

2006 eruptions

Mayon's 48th modern-era eruption was on July 13, 2006, followed by quiet effusion of lava that started on July 14,
2006.[14][18] Nearly 40,000 people were evacuated from

Mayon in satellite image

the 8-kilometre (5.0 mi) danger zone on the southeast flank of the volcano.[19]

After an ash explosion of September 1, 2006, a general decline in the overall activity of Mayon was established.
The decrease in key parameters such as seismicity, sulfur dioxide emission rates and ground inflation all indicated a
waning condition. The slowdown in the eruptive activity was also evident from the decrease in intensity of crater
glow and the diminishing volume of lava extruded from the summit. PHILVOLCS Alert Level 4 was lowered to Level
3 on September 11,

2006; to Level 2 on October 3, 2006; and to Level 1 on October 25, 2006.[20]

2008 eruption
On August 10, 2008, a small summit explosion ejected ash 200 metres (660 ft) above the summit, which drifted
eastnortheast. In the weeks prior to the eruption,[14] a visible glow increased within the crater and increased
seismicity.[21]

2009–2010 eruption

On July 10, 2009, PHIVOLCS raised the status from Alert Level 1 (low level unrest)

to Alert Level 2 (moderate unrest) because the number of recorded low frequency volcanic earthquakes rose to
the same level as those prior to the 2008 phreatic explosion.[22][23]

At 5:32 a.m. on October 28, 2009, a minor ash explosion lasting for about one minute occurred in the summit
crater. A brown ash column rose about 600 metres (2,000 ft) above the crater and drifted northeast. In the prior 24
hours, 13 volcanic earthquakes were recorded. Steam emission was at moderate level, creeping downslope toward
the southwest. PHIVOLCS maintained the

Alert Status at Level 2, but later warned that with the approach of tropical cyclone international codename
Mirinae, the danger of lahars and possible crater wall collapse would greatly increase and all specified precautions
should be taken.[24]

At 1:58 am on November 11, 2009, a minor ash explosion occurred at the summit crater lasting for about three
minutes. This was recorded by the seismic network as an explosion-type earthquake with rumbling sounds.
Incandescent rock fragments at the upper slope were observed in nearby barangays. Ash column was not observed
because of

cloud cover. After dawn, field investigation showed ashfall had drifted southwest of the volcano. In the 24-hour
period, the seismic network recorded 20 volcanic earthquakes. Alert Status was kept at Level 2 indicating the
current state of unrest could lead to more ash explosion or eventually to hazardous magmatic eruption.[25]

Mayon with ash explosion at dawn on December 18, 2009

At 8 pm on December 14, 2009, after 83 volcanic quakes in the preceding 24 hours[26] and increased sulfur dioxide
emissions, PHIVOLCS raised the Alert status to Level 3.[27]

Early in the morning of December 15, 2009, a moderate ash explosion occurred at the summit crater and "quiet
extrusion of lava" resulted in flows down to about 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the summit.[28] By evening, Albay
Province authorities evacuated about 20,000 residents out of the 8-kilometre (5.0 mi) danger zone and into local
evacuation centres. About

50,000 people live within the 8-kilometre (5.0 mi) zone.[29][30]

On December 17, 2009, five ash ejections occurred, with one reaching 500 metres (1,600 ft) above the summit.
Sulfur dioxide emission increased to 2,758 tonnes per 24 hours, lava flows reached down to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft)
below the summit, and incandescent fragments from the lava pile continuously rolling down Bonga Gully reached a
distance of 3–4 km below the summit. By midday, a total of 33,833 people from 7,103 families had been
evacuated, 72 percent of the total number of people that needed to be evacuated,

according to Albay Governor Joey Salceda.[31]

On December 20, 2009, PHIVOLCS raised Mayon's status level to alert level 4 because of an increasing lava flow in
the southern portion of the volcano and an increase in sulfur dioxide emission to 750 tonnes per day. Almost 460
earthquakes in the volcano were monitored. In the border of the danger zone, rumbling sounds like thunder were
heard. Over 9,000 families (44,394 people) were evacuated by the Philippine government from the base of the
volcano.[32] No civilian was permitted within the 8 km danger zone, which was

cordoned off by the Philippine military who actively patrolled to enforce the "no-go" rule and to ensure no damage
or loss of property of those evacuated.[33]

Alert level 4 was maintained as the volcano remained restive through December, prompting affected residents to
spend Christmas and the New Year in evacuation centers.[34] On December 25,

Mayon erupting on December 29, 2009.

sulfur dioxide emissions peaked at 8,993 tons per day.[35][36] On December 28, PHIVOLCS director Renato
Solidum commented on the status of the volcano, "You might think it is taking a break but the volcano is still
swelling."[33] On the next day December 29, a civil aviation warning for the airspace near the summit was included
in the volcano bulletins.[37] The ejected volcanic material since the start of the eruption was estimated to have
been between 20 million to 23 million cubic meters of rocks and volcanic debris, compared to 50 million to 60
million cubic meters in past eruptions.[38]

On January 2, 2010, PHIVOLCS lowered the alert level of the volcano from level 4 to level 3, citing decreasing
activity observed over the prior four days.[39] The state agency noted the absence of ash ejections and relative
weakness of steam emissions and the gradual decrease in sulfur dioxide emissions from a maximum of 8,993
tonnes per day to 2,621 tonnes per day.[36] 7,218 families within the 7– 8 km danger zones returned to their
homes, while 2,728 families residing in the 4–6 km danger zone remained in the evacuation centers pending a
decision to further lower the alert level.[40]

On January 13, 2010, PHIVOLCS reduced the Alert Level from 3 to 2 due to a further reduction in the likelihood of
hazardous eruption.[41]