Mayon goes quiet

After fears of more activity during Wednesday’s full moon, Mount Mayon has actually quietened down, sparking new fears that the crater has plugged itself. If this has happened, then there is an even higher likelihood of an explosive eruption in the not to distant future.

Lava is continuing to flow, but sulphur dioxide emissions and the number of earthquakes have dropped dramatically. The number of earthquakes have dropped from 21 on Wednesday to only 3 on Thursday.

Ernesto Corpus from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said “It is at this time that the volcanic activity could be gearing up for a bigger explosion,” he told French news agency AFP. “This kind of unusual quiet is ominous.” Ominous indeed!

More residents have been evacuated from villages within the 8Km (5 mile) danger zone, and troops are patrolling to make sure everyone stays clear and doesn’t try to return to their homes.

Related Links:
Full Moon fears for Mayon Volcano