According to Paul Alanis, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) resident volcanologist in Bicol, a pyroclastic flow is impending as the lava dome of Mayon Volcano increased from 40,000 cubic meters in 2019 to 48,000 cubic meters on Monday.

He claims it would risk the lives of anyone who breach the six-kilometer no-land man’s placed in the southeast quadrant of Legazpi and Sto. Domingo town, he added. Alanis said the expanding lava dome is a legacy of Mayon Volcano’s 2018 eruption.

“The lava dome has been there since 2019. Last August, we raised Alert Level 1 due to an increase in size compared to June 2022. “From 2019 to October, the lava dome was 40,000 cubic meters. Now in October it is growing at 48,000 cubic meters total volume,” Alanis remarked.

He said that the southeast portion of the permanent danger zone (PDZ) bordering Legazpi City and Sto. Domingo is particularly vulnerable to pyroclastic collapse.

“Pyroclastic collapse is possible if it continues to grow. These are the remnants of 2018 when the eruption suddenly halted,” he warned.

When questioned if there is new magma accumulation under the volcano to the crater, Alanis stated that there is no evidence of new magma buildup in the crater’s conduit.

“Wala po kami makita indication na may bagong magma na umaakyat (We didn’t see any indication that a new magma is building up),” he added.

Water coming into touch with the deposited magma in the volcano’s upper chamber, or a hydrothermal reaction, has been reported to cause crater glow.

At night, the faint crater glow at the peak may be seen. According to the Phivolcs bulletin, Mayon’s sulfur dioxide emissions were 391 tons each day in the last monitoring, which was slightly less than the 500 tons per day limit.

Following the rising restlessness of Mayon Volcano, the Phivolcs raised the warning level to Alert Level 2 on Friday.