LEGAZPI CITY - At least 35 volcanic earthquakes jolted Mayon Volcano on Thursday and Friday, the highest recorded seismic event since July when the volcano started showing signs of restiveness, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported Friday.
The surge in the number of volcanic tremors started in the Wednesday, with 14 tremors recorded during the Wednesday-to-Thursday monitoring period. Only one tremor was recorded in the previous 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Eduardo Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist, said the agency's seismic network recorded a total of 82 earthquakes since Sept. 27.
Scientists monitoring the volcano still do not discount the possibility of an explosive eruption because of the fluctuating indicators, such as quakes, ground swelling, gas emissions and crater glow.
Phivolcs' Friday advisory said high- and low-frequency harmonic tremors were detected by seismic instruments, signifying that magma intrusion was developing in the volcano's crater vent.
Sulfur dioxide emissions from the volcano indicated a fluctuating trend, ranging from 392 tons per day to 445 tons per day for the past three days.
No reading was recorded Thursday due to bad weather.
Precise leveling result indicated a 6-mm swelling on the volcano’s ground surface, with bulging noted at the Buang, Tabaco City, side of the mountain.
The volcano's crater glow was obscured by the prevailing bad weather in Albay.
Alert level 2 remained hoisted over Mayon Volcano.
The Phivolcs strongly recommended that the six-kilometer permanent danger zone and the seven-kilometer extended danger zone be off-limits to any human activity due to threat of sudden explosions and rockfalls from the upper slopes of the volcano.
Residents living along river channels, gullies and low-lying areas were also warned about possible lahar flows.
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