Seminar-Workshop on Natural Hazard Awareness and Preparedness

for Teachers of Northern Samar Province

14 March 2009

VOLCANOES AND
VOLCANIC HAZARDS

PERLA J. DELOS REYES

Philippine Institute of Volcanology & Seismology (PHIVOLCS)
Department of Science & Technology (DOST)
 What is a VOLCANO?

a vent, hill or mountain from w/c molten or hot
rocks w/ gaseous material are ejected

can be craters, hills or mountains formed by removal
of pre-existing material or by accumulation of
ejected materials
MAYON VOLCANO

BULUSAN VOLCANO
Why do we have
VOLCANISM?
DUE TO HEAT WITHIN
EARTH’S INTERIOR

PLANET EARTH
and its
hot interior
inside the earth…

MANTLE CONVECTION
PLANET EARTH, TECTONIC PLATES and PLATE BOUNDARIES
 Where do Volcanoes Form?
Transform
Convergent
Island Rift
Arc Divergent Zones
Magma Mid-Oceanic
Mid- Continental
Hotspot Ridges Arc

ISLAND/CONTINENTAL ARC VOLCANOES: caused by CONVERGENT

TECTONIC PLATES coming together (e.g. Circum-
Circum-Pacific Ring of Fire)
 Where do Volcanoes Form?
Transform
Convergent
Island Rift
Arc Divergent Zones
Magma Mid-Oceanic
Mid- Continental
Hotspot Ridges Arc

HOT SPOT VOLCANOES: caused by MANTLE PLUMES, can occur far from
plate boundaries (e.g. Hawaii)
 Where do Volcanoes Form?
Transform
Convergent
Island Rift
Arc Divergent Zones
Magma Mid-Oceanic
Mid- Continental
Hotspot Ridges Arc

MID-
MID-OCEANIC RIDGE VOLCANOES: caused by DIVERGENT TECTONIC
PLATES pulling apart
 Where do Volcanoes Form?
Transform
Convergent
Island Rift
Arc Divergent Zones
Magma Mid-Oceanic
Mid- Continental
Hotspot Ridges Arc

RIFT ZONE VOLCANOES: form where there is stretching and thinning of

the Earth’s crust (called "non-
"non-hotspot intraplate volcanism")
TECTONIC AND GEOGRAPHIC SETTINGS OF THE PHILIPPINES

Distribution of
Volcanoes in the World
Tectonic Setting of the Philippines

NORTHERN
SAMAR
 Classification of Volcanoes (PHIVOLCS)
ACTIVE:

erupted w/in historical times (last 600 yrs); has written
historical accounts or oral tradition

erupted w/in the recent geological period (≤(≤10,000 yrs)
based on radiometric dating

has volcanic seismicity

POTENTIALLY ACTIVE

landform is young-
young-looking but w/ no records or proof of
eruption

INACTIVE

no recorded eruptions

long
long-
-period inactivity is evident from too much
weathering & erosion of deep & long gullies (valleys)
Active, Inactive &
Potentially Active
Volcanoes of the
Philippines

300 volcanoes

23 considered active
Active, Inactive & Potentially Active Volcanoes near
Northern Samar

MAYON

BULUSAN

BILIRAN

CANLAON
CABALIAN
 Active Volcanoes in the Philippines
Name No. of Date of Last LAT/LONG Location
Eruptions Eruption
Mayon ↸ 49 2006 13° 15.4'/123° 41.1' Albay, Bicol Region, Luzon

Taal ↸ 33 1977 14° 00'/121° 00' Batangas, Luzon

Canlaon ↸ 22 1996 10° 24.7/123° 7.9' Negros Occidental, Visayas

Bulusan ↸ 14 2006 12° 47'/124° 03' Sorsogon, Bicol Region, Luzon

Ragang 9 1915 7° 41.5/124° 30.3' Bukidnon, Mindanao
Smith 6 1924 19° 32.5/121° 55' Cagayan, Northern Luzon
Hibok-Hibok ↸ 8 1949-1953 9° 12.2/124° 40.4 Camiguin Island, Mindanao
Didicas 6 1978 19° 05'/122° 12' Cagayan, Northern Luzon
Pinatubo ↸ 3 1991 & 1992 15° 08'/120° 21' Pampanga, Zambales & Tarlac,
Luzon
Babuyan Claro 3 ?1913 19° 31.5'/121° 57' Cagayan, Northern Luzon
Bud Dajo 2 1897 5° 59'/121° 13' Sulu, Mindanao
Camiguin de Babuyanes 1 1857 18° 50'/121° 52' Cagayan, Northern Luzon
Cagua 1 1860 18° 13'/122° 07' Cagayan, Northern Luzon
Banahao ↸ 1 ?1730 14° 04'/121° 29' Laguna & Quezon Province,
Luzon
Calayo (Musuan) 1 1866 7° 52'/125° 4.4' Bukidnon, Mindanao
Iraya 1 1464 20° 29'/122° 01' Batanes Island, Northern Luzon
Iriga 1 ?1628 13° 28'/123° 28' Camarines Sur, Bicol Region,
Luzon
Biliran ? ?1939 11° 37'/124° 30' Leyte, Visayas
Matutum ↸ 1 ?1911 6° 22'/124° 04' South Cotabato, Mindanao

Parker ↸ 1 1641 6° 6.8'/124° 53.5' South Cotabato, Mindanao

Makaturing ? ?? 7° 38.5'/124° 19' Lanao, Mindanao
Leonard 1 1,800 Bp 7° 4.5'/126° 4' Davao, Mindanao
Cabalian 1 135 Bp 10°17'13.2"/125 Southern Leyte
°13.25'
 FORMS OF VOLCANOES
Controlled mainly by magma composition

EFFUSIVE EXPLOSIVE
Low SiO2 (BASALTIC) Intermediate
High SiO2 (SILICIC)
SiO2 (ANDESITIC)
Geochemical-
Geochemical-Rheological Guide
 Volcano Type: MONOGENETIC CONES
(Tuff/cinder cones, tuff rings, maars)

Low, symmetrical accumulations of scoria (cinder)/ ash

Typically
low SiO2 (Basaltic) magma

One
One-
-shot volcanoes; usually related to bigger ones

1948 Paricutin eruption, Mexico Ligñon Hill

Volcano Type: MONOGENETIC CONES
(Tuff/cinder cones, tuff rings, maars)

Alligator Lake
 Volcano Type: VOLCANIC DOMES

Mound
Mound--shaped or convex volcanoes

Built by slow eruptions of highly viscous lavas; all types
of magma (low-
(low-high SiO2)

Can produce violent, explosive eruptions (if high silica
domes), but their lavas generally do not flow far from the
originating vent.

E.g. Hibok-
Hibok-Hibok & Vulcan, Camiguin; Mt. Unzen, Japan

Hibok-Hibok & the 1871 dome

Vulcan, Camiguin Unzen Volcano
 Volcano Type: STRATOVOLCANOES

Tall conical mountains composed of alternating
deposits of pyroclastic, lava flow deposits, and other
ejecta in alternate layers, the STRATA that give rise to
the name; may have multiple craters

Intermediate SiO2 (Andesitic); also known as
COMPOSITE VOLCANO

e.g. Mayon, Albay; Matutum, So. Cotabato; Mt. Fuji,
Japan
Bulusan Volcano

Mayon Volcano
 Volcano Type: STRATOVOLCANOES

Cross-section (vertical scale is

exaggerated):

1. Large 9. Layers of
magma lava emitted
chamber by the volcano
2. Bedrock 10. Throat
3. Conduit 11. Parasitic
(pipe) cone
4. Base 12. Lava flow
5. Sill 13. Vent
6. Branch pipe 14. Crater
7. Layers of 15. Ash cloud
ash emitted
by the volcano
8. Flank
 Volcano Type: SHIELD VOLCANOES

So named for their broad, shield-
shield-like profile
profile;; gentle-
gentle-
sloped but large diameter volcanoes

Typically island volcanoes, partially submerged

Formed by frequent, long-
long-period lava eruptions in rift
zones, mantle hotspots; formed by the eruption of
low
low--viscosity lavas that can flow a great distance from
a vent, but not generally explode catastrophically

E.g. Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Pu’u O’o, Hawaii; Mt. Etna,
Italy

Mauna Loa, the world’s

largest volcano
 Volcano Type: CALDERA

Large; may have several volcanic centers, in & around a
large crater >2 km in diameter

Formed by long-
long-spaced periods of explosive activity

Can cause major climate changes, crash of civilizations!

High SiO2 (Silicic) magma

E.g. Pinatubo; Parker; Krakatau, Indonesia

Pinatubo Caldera, Luzon Santorini, Greece

 Volcano Type: CALDERA

ERUPTION

PARTLY EMPTIED MAGMA CHAMBER

COLLAPSE

FORMATION OF CRATER LAKE

Crater Lake, Oregon

 TYPES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTION
Controlled mainly by magma composition (silica content) &
volatile (gas) content

EFFUSIVE EXPLOSIVE
Intermediate
Low SiO2 (BASALTIC) High SiO2 (SILICIC)
SiO2 (ANDESITIC)

Etna, Sicily Mayon, Albay Redoubt, Alaska

 Type of Volcanic Eruption: PHREATIC

2000 Phreatic eruption, Mt. Usu, Japan

Steam
Steam--driven
eruptions;
contact of
groundwater w/
hot country
rocks (no 1984 Phreatic event at
magma) Mayon Volcano

Usually
precursory to
magmatic
eruptions

Thick ash column near

1976 Phreatic eruption Toya Spa, 10 April 2000
at Taal Volcano Eruption of Mt. Usu
Type of Eruption:
PHREATOMAGMATIC

Very violent eruption

generated by the
explosive contact of
erupting magma with
water

Voluminous, slightly
tall ash columns,
laterally-projected
pyroclastic currents
(base surges) & blasts

1966 Taal Volcano phreatomagmatic phase

Type of Eruption: STROMBOLIAN

Weak to violent eruption of gas-
gas-charged fluid magma

Lava fountaining & flowing

So named from STROMBOLI VOLCANO that ejected lava bombs
located off the coast of Sicily; has erupted continuously for
thousands of years

Stromboli Volcano, Italy 2000 Mayon eruption Strombolian phase

 Type of Eruption: VULCANIAN

Characterized by a dense cloud of ash-
ash-laden gas
exploding from the crater and rising high above the peak

Can produce tall eruption columns (sometimes >20 km);
pyroclastic flows, ashfall

Vulcanian type was discovered from studies of the activity,
between 2 August 1888 and 22 March 1890, of Fossa cone
at VULCANO in the Aeolian Islands, Italy.

1997 Soufriere
Hills Eruption,
Montserrat Vulcanian Phase Mayon 2000
eruption
 1991 eruption of Pinatubo Volcano
Type of Eruption:
PLINIAN

Highly explosive, with

dense clouds of gas
and tephra being
propelled upwards for
many kilometres,
forming huge tall
mushroom columns
(maybe more than 40
km high), and
pyroclastic flows

Creates large volcanic
calderas
 VOLCANIC HAZARDS

2000 eruption of Mayon Volcano

Volcano-related phenomena/ processes

that pose potential threat or cause
negative impact to man, property & the
environment, in a given period of time.
 VOLCANIC HAZARDS

Primary Volcanic Secondary Volcanic

Hazards Hazards

Lava flows
Lahars

Pyroclastic flows
Secondary explosions

Ashfall or tephra fall
Tsunami

Volcanic gases
Debris avalanche/

Fissuring Sector collapse
Volcanic Hazard: ASHFALL or TEPHRA FALL

Gravitational
settling of volcanic
ash & fragments
from the umbrella
clouds of tall
eruption columns &
ashclouds of
pyroclastic flows

Dispersal depends
on prevalent wind
directions, column
heights
 Impacts of Ashfall

Results to
widespread
infrastructural
damages when
thick

Monitored
Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991 worldwide by
aviation agencies
due to potential jet
engine failure to
all types of aircraft

Health hazard
 Impacts of Ashfall

Buildings destroyed by ballistic mudballs from the 2000 Mt. Usu Eruption
Volcanic Hazard: Kilauea lava flow
Low SiO2  Pahoehoe (Ropy) Lava

LAVA FLOW

Incandescent rivers of hot

molten rock (lava)

Erupted from volcanic
craters, fissures, during
Hawaiian-
Hawaiian - Strombolian
activity, lava dome
eruptions From USGS

Usually slow-
slow-moving for
moderate-
moderate -high SiO2
magma; fast-
fast-moving for
low SiO2 magma (e.g.
Hawaii lavas)
1969 Taal Volcano (Mt. Tabaro) Lava Flow Field
Low SiO2  Aa (Spiky) Lava
 Volcanic Hazard: LAVA FLOW

1993 Mayon lava flow

Intermediate SiO2  Blocky Lava

2000 Mayon lava flow

Intermediate SiO2  Blocky Lava
 Impacts of Lava Flow

Main hazard of burial, generation of deadlier pyroclastic flows

Results in long term disuse of buried land
From USGS
Volcanic Hazard: PYROCLASTIC FLOWS & SURGES

Turbulent mass of ejected

fragmented volcanic materials
(ash & rocks) + hot gases that
flow downslope at very high
speeds (30-
(30-700 kph)

Deadliest of all volcanic hazards
Volcanic Hazard: PYROCLASTIC FLOWS & SURGES

SOUFRIERE HILLS VOLCANO

Montserrat Volcano Observatory
 Impacts of Pyroclastic Flows & Surges

Burning & incineration of everything in the flow path

Filling of river valleys w/ pyroclastic flow deposits

Mayon Volcano
Ridge

Pinatubo Volcano: BEFORE

Ridge

Pinatubo Volcano: BEFORE

 Impacts of Pyroclastic Flows & Surges

Hibok-Hibok Volcano,
Hibok-
Camiguin Island, December
1951: 500 deaths
 Impacts of Pyroclastic Flows & Surges
1911 Taal Volcano eruption: 300 deaths from base surges, travels
laterally outward from the base of an eruption column at 90-
90-500
m/s, first recognized in 1947 in explosion mushrooms of
underwater nuclear tests

Taal Volcano, 24 July 1966

Impacts of Pyroclastic Flows & Surges

base surge

Taal Phreatomagmatic Eruption, 1965

 Volcanic Hazard: LAHARS

Bacolor, Pampanga, Pinatubo Volcano Yawa River, Albay, Mayon Volcano

Rapidly flowing thick mixture of volcanic

sediments and water

Triggered by rainfall, melting of craterial icecaps,
lake breakout or hydrothermal “squeezing”
Two Classes of Lahars

DEBRIS FLOW
• high viscosity
• solid fraction is 60
60-
-
80% by weight or >60%
by volume
Two Classes of Lahars

HYPERCONCENTRATED
STREAMFLOW
• has moderate
viscosity
•solid fraction 20-
20-
60% by weight, 40-
40-
60% by volume
 1991
Impacts of Lahars

Burial

Cutoff and Isolation

Long
Long--term siltation &
related flooding

1992
DIZON MINES
COMMUNITY

Sacobia--Bamban River
Sacobia
Pampanga River
Delta: 1992

Lowermost
reaches of
Pasig-
Pasig-Potrero &
Porac-
Porac -Gumain
clogged by new
sediments

Siltation,
clogging of delta
rivers,
preventing
drainage to Orani
Orani
estuary, Manila
Bay Pasig-Potrero/Porac-Gumain, Pampanga,
Pinatubo Volcano
Volcanic Hazard: Gases

Basic components of
magma or lava:
- Water (H2O), Carbon
Dioxide (CO2), Carbon
Monoxide (CO), Hydrogen
Sulfide (H2S), Flouride (F2),
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2),
Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4), etc.)

Mostly toxic species

From USGS From USGS

 Impacts of Volcanic Gas
• Pollutes the atmosphere and causes acid rain
• Causes vegetation, fish and animal kills, death

•Bubbling of
water during
1969 eruption,
Taal Lake, due
to escaping gas
from magma
beneath the
lake floor

USGS
 Volcanic Hazard: GROUND FISSURING

• due to movement of
magma beneath the
surface may be
movement/ adjustments
along faults
accompanied by
1911 eruption fissure, Lemery,
Batangas earthquakes

Caysasay Church
sustained
damages due to
strong ground
2000 Mt. Usu eruption fissuring shaking
Volcanic Hazard: DEBRIS AVALANCHE

Downslope movement of large-

large-volume proportions
of the volcanic flanks due to:
movement of magma beneath the edifice
(Bezymmiany-
(Bezymmiany -type)
 adjustments along faults transecting volcanoes
earthquakes (Bandai-
(Bandai-type)
Volcanic Hazard: DEBRIS AVALANCHE

Debris Avalanche Animation

Produces horseshoe-
horseshoe -
shaped crater, hummocky
topography

Devastation of tens or
hundreds square kilometers
of area at the volcano slopes
& foot
 Volcanic Hazard: SEICHE / LAKE TSUNAMI

Formed by perturbations by eruptions,

debris avalanches entering lakes, bays

Taal 1911 & 1965 eruptions–
eruptions–
generated seiches 2.5-
2.5-4.7 mm--high
seiches that swept inshore for ca. 100 m

Effects of seiches along the lakeshore areas

 VOLCANIC HAZARDS MITIGATION
Installation of of
Installation
monitoring
monitoring
instruments
instruments

MONITORING
SYSTEM

NATURAL PREDICTION
HAZARDS SYSTEM

RESPONSE
SYSTEM
We cannot control
volcanic Mapping &
phenomenon, but hazard
assessment
we can lessen their
risks

Hazard
information
dissemination
 SEISMIC MONITORING
Philippine Seismic Network SYSTEM
THE UPGRADED SEISMIC NETWORK
OF PHIVOLCS UNDER THE
JICA GRANT-AID PROJECT
OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT
•29 manned seismic stations
equipped with digital seismic
instruments
•29 unmanned seismic sites linked
by satellite communication (VSAT)
•6 volcanological observatories
Seismic radio telemetry in selected
active volcanoes (8 volcanoes)
•30 Portable earthquake/volcano
monitoring equipment
• Main Receiving Station at Main
Office; Mirror Site – Tagaytay Station
Mitigation Measures: Prediction thru Volcano
Monitoring
VOLCANO MONITORING EQUIPMENT
PHIVOLCS-
PHIVOLCS-JICA PROJECT

Data receiving center:

Taal Volcano Observatory
Buco, Talisay, Batangas
 VOLCANIC HAZARDS MITIGATION:
Prediction thru Volcano Monitoring

Indirect measurement of the condition of the magmatic

system
 TYPICAL ERUPTION PRECURSORS

• Increase in • Fissuring
frequency of quakes • Sulfuric odor and
with occasional felt acrid fumes
events and • Fish kills and drying
accompanied by up of vegetation
rumbling sounds
• Phreatic eruptions,
• Increase in caldera increased steaming
lake/ fumarole/ hot in craters
spring temperature
• Crater glow
• Development of
new thermal areas
and reactivation of
old ones
TYPICAL ERUPTION PRECURSORS
 Bulusan Volcano Alert Levels
Alert Level Criteria Interpretation

0 Background, quiet No eruption in foreseeable future

1 Low level of seismic, fumarolic, and Magmatic, tectonic or hydrothermal

other unrest disturbance; no eruption imminent

2 Moderate level of seismic, other unrest Probable magma intrusion; could

with positive evidence for involvement eventually lead to an eruption
of magma

3 Relatively high and increasing unrest, Increasing likelihood of an eruption,

including numerous low frequency possibly explosive, probably within days
volcanic earthquakes, accelerating to weeks.
ground deformation, increasing
fumarolic activity.

4 Intense unrest, including harmonic Magma close to or at the earth’s surface.

tremor and/or many “long-period”(i.e., Hazardous explosive eruption likely,
low frequency) earthquakes and/or possibly within hours or days.
dome growth and/or small explosions

5 Hazardous eruption in progress.

Hazards in valleys and downwind.
VOLCANIC HAZARDS ZONATION MAPS

Show areas identified to be prone to a

particular volcanic phenomena

Tool to gauge the degree of susceptibility of
a given area to a particular hazard

Determine which areas should be evacuated
and avoided during eruptions

Provide guidelines for long-
long-range land use
planning around volcanoes that take into
account potential hazards from future
eruption
Consideration of areas to be impacted by eruptions

• No settlements in
Permanent Danger Zones
(PDZ)
• Evacuate and
avoidance of additional
hazardous areas during
volcanic activities
• Plan locations of
facilities, settlements
taking into account
potential hazards from
future eruptions
 MITIGATION MEASURES: DISASTER AWARENESS
Exhibits

Publications

Lectures/Conferences

Signages
Posters

Pagpapalawak ng kaalaman ng komunidad ukol sa panganib

TARGETS OF DISASTER AWARENESS PROMOTION
…Local Government Officials,
The Community…
planners, developers……

…Media …Teachers and Students

Teach school children and PUBLIC what to do
during and after occurrence of volcanic hazards
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF VOLCANOES

Various forms/shapes
 BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF VOLCANOES

Geothermal features
Warm/hot springs, lakes, fumaroles, steaming vents

Taal Geysering Makiling Mud Pool

Taal Geysering Macban Geothermal Plant

 BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF VOLCANOES

Good site for treking, camping, enjoying nature

 BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF VOLCANOES

Eruptive activities
Activities can be observed from safe areas

1965 eruption (Mt. Tabaro, Taal 1993 eruption Mayon Volcano

Volcano)

2006 eruption Mayon Volcano

 BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF VOLCANOES

Preserved Impacts of Historical Eruptions

Cabetican
Church, buuried
in lahar deposits
after 1991
eruption,
Pinatubo Volcano

Cagsawa Ruins, 1814 eruption,

Mayon Volcano
 VOLCANOES AND TOURISM
• The country has many volcanoes, active and inactive, which can
be good sites for tourism
• Volcanoes are attractive travel destinations: beautiful sites
because of its landforms/shapes; geothermal features; good site
for trekking, camping, enjoying nature; preserved impacts of
historical eruptions; eruptive activities observed from safe areas
• Safety should always be considered in developing and
maintaining tourism in volcanic areas and in locating facilities
• The natural environment should be conserved and the well-
being of the local people should be improved in developing
volcanoes as travel destinations (Respect local/cultural
traditions and etiquette; practice minimum
environmental impact )
 THANK YOU!
www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph