Active Volcanoes
Someones are nervous
Active Volcanoes in the Philippines
PHIVOLCS, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology publishes a daily "Volcano Bulletin" with information about current activity of the monitored volcanoes in the Philippines.
These "Volcano Bulletins" contain a lot of interesting background information, but they are like photos. They show just one moment. Volcanism is a dynamic process. So we started 4 years ago to collect the PHIVOLCS information.
Below you find the activity curves of the 3 recently most active volcanoes, Mayon, Taal and Bulusan. More information about all volcanoes in the Philippines can be found in our "Philippines Volcanoes page".
Mayon Volcano
Mayon Volcano is the Philippines' most active volcano and is considered to be the world's most perfectly formed volcano for its symmetrical cone. It is a basaltic-andesitic volcano.
The upper slopes of the volcano are steep averaging 35-40 degrees and are capped by a small summit crater. Its sides are layers of lava and other volcanic material. Mayon has had forty-seven eruptions in recorded history.
The first recorded eruption was in 1616, the last major eruption ceased on 1st October 2006, although a devastating lahar followed on 30 November 2006.
The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814. Lava flowed but not as much compared to the 1766 eruption.
PHIVOLCS is closely monitoring Mayon Volcano and any new development will be relayed to all concerned.
Alert Level 1
Mayon Hazard Maps
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Alert Level 1 currently prevails over Mayon Volcano.Ground deformation data from continuous GPS monitoring indicate that the edifice is still inflated relative to July 2019 despite a period of general deflation since July-August 2020, and has been undergoing short-term inflation since November 2020. Deflation of the edifice with short-term inflation of the northwestern slopes since December 2020 has also been recorded by electronic tilt monitoring.
Active stream/river channels and those identified as perennially lahar-prone areas on all sectors of the volcano should also be avoided especially during extreme weather conditions when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall. DOST-PHIVOLCS maintains its close monitoring of Mayon Volcano and any new development will be communicated to all concerned stakeholders.
Activity reports
Activity at the summit crater consisted of moderate emission of white steam-laden plumes that crept downslope before drifting west. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was last measured at an average of 80 tonnes/day on 08 March 2021.
07/1968 Increased activity
10/1968 Steam and ash emissions followed by mudflows down all flanks
01/1969 Steaming from summit area; faint night glow
11/1977 Summit crater glow seen in early November; several new steam vents
02/1978 Glow and harmonic tremor continue
05/1978 Moderate eruption: lava flow, ash clouds, and evacuation
08/1978 Lava extrusion ends, but small ash explosions continue
08/1979 Seismic activity and crater glow
08/1980 Harmonic tremor
11/1980 Occasional tremor episodes through November
12/1980 Steam emission, crater glow, and seismicity
06/1981 Mudflows from typhoon rains
07/1981 Mudflow casualties updated
08/1984 Eruption clouds to 15 km; pyroclastic flows; lava flows
09/1984 Explosive activity reintensifies; 73,000 evacuated
02/1985 Eruption clouds from 23 September seen on satellite images
08/1988 Lahars and faint crater glow
09/1988 Crater glow; new areas of steaming
11/1988 Crater glow and steam emissions continue; mudflow damage
01/1993 Explosion generates pyroclastic flow that kills 68 people; activity continuing
02/1993 Eruption continues; pyroclastic flows; lava extrusion
03/1993 Strombolian eruption; activity wanes
08/1995 Crater glow and steam emissions
06/1999 Explosion on 22 June sends a plume to ~10-12 km altitude
01/2000 Summit-crater dome growth and escalating eruptions herald evacuations
02/2000 Strong explosions, lava flows, and pyroclastic flows following dome growth
04/2000 Decreasing activity; small eruptions, lava flows, secondary pyroclastic flows
05/2001 April 2000-May 2001 summary; dome growth beginning in January 2001
06/2001 Eruption escalates; pyroclastic flow on 24 June
08/2001 Two main episodes in 2001; quiet seen in late August
04/2002 Declining activity prompts PHIVOLCS to lower Alert Level to 0
03/2003 Small ash puff on 11 October 2002; explosions on 17 March and 5 April 2003
05/2003 Three small ash-and-steam explosions during April-May 2003
09/2003 Elevated sulfur-dioxide flux after mid-September; crater glow in October
12/2004 Minor activity in June, July, and September 2004; reported ash emission
03/2006 Eruptions resume in February 2006 after a 2-year hiatus
07/2006 New eruptive pulse starting 13 July; lava flows; thousands evacuated
08/2006 Lava extruding but with less vigor
05/2007 Eruption ends on 1 October 2006; typhoon causes deadly lahars
02/2009 Mild phreatic explosion with ash plume on 10 August 2008
10/2009 Increased activity in mid-2009; November 2009 eruption
12/2009 December 2009 eruption causes evacuation of more than 47,000 people
09/2011 Brief seismic crisis in May 2011, low activity follows
04/2013 Mainly calm during 2009-2013; 7 May 2013 explosion kills five climbers
09/2013 Quiet during May 2013-November 2013; super-typhoon and lahars
03/2016 New lava dome appears in summit crater, August 2014; evacuations due to rockfall hazard
04/2018 Explosion on 13 January 2018 begins new eruptive episode; 5-km-high ash plume on 22 January
10/2018 Low activity during April-September with some ash plumes and ongoing crater incandescence
03/2019 A phreatic event on 14 March generated an ash plume that rose 500 m and drifted SW.
04/2020 White steam plumes periodically emitted from Mayon rose as high as 400 m above the summit.
04/2020 Crater incandescence was visible nightly.
01/2021 PHIVOLCS lowered Alert Level to 1.
Taal Volcano
2021-07-01: Raising of the alert status of Taal from Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) to Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest). At 15:16H (3:16 PM) PST, Taal Volcano Main Crater generated a short-lived dark phreatomagmatic plume 1 kilometer-high with no accompanying volcanic earthquake. This means that there is magmatic intrusion at the Main Crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions. PHIVOLCS strongly recommends Taal Volcano Island and high-risk barangays of Agoncillo and Laurel, Batangas be evacuated due to the possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami.
Alert Level 3
Taal Hazard Maps
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Activity reports
These activity reports are provided by the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program (GVP). The mission of GVP is to document, understand, and disseminate information about global volcanic activity.
Click on the date of the event. A full report will open in a new tab.
09/1968 Increased steaming from cone area
10/1968 Increasing seismicity and surface thermal activity
12/1968 Continued seismicity through mid-December
10/1969 Eruption of ash and incandescent fragments on 29 October
11/1969 Continued production of lava flows and ejecta; new cone on SE flank
12/1969 Lava flows continue; new vent forms as activity shifts towards the west
12/1970 Profuse steaming; fresh landslide noted; active rift
09/1976 Precursors trigger evacuation before explosive eruptions in early September
11/1976 Strong, frequent eruptions with ashfall through mid-October
12/1976 Weak steaming; larger steam plume on 30 October
10/1977 Weak phreatic eruption with harmonic tremor
11/1977 Ejection of voluminous ash-laden steam clouds on 9 November
02/1978 Harmonic tremor continues, but no eruption
10/1987 Increase in recorded earthquakes; minor deformation
12/1987 Seismicity abates; thermal activity normal
08/1988 Seismicity and slight inflation
10/1989 Increased seismicity; main crater inflation
03/1991 Increased shallow seismicity and felt earthquakes; more than 1,000 evacuated
04/1991 Continued seismicity and changes to crater lake
07/1991 Abnormal seismicity continues
01/1992 Earthquake swarm, deformation, and new fissures document apparent intrusion; evacuations
02/1992 Crater lake temperature and seismicity decline
02/1994 Rise in seismicity, deformation, and temperature
12/2004 New episode of seismic unrest began in September 2004
08/2006 Ongoing seismic unrest
01/2007 Elevated seismicity, deformation, and hydrothermal activity during 2006
02/2011 Intermittent non-eruptive unrest during 2008-2010
01/2020 Phreatic explosion on 2020-01-12
01/2020 Magmatic eruption on 2020-01-13
02/2020 Whitish steam plumes rose as high as 800 m above Taal’s main vent
04/2020 Steam plumes rose 100-300 m above the Taal’s main vent and drifted SW.
03/2021 Taal Volcano Network recorded fifty-one (51) volcanic earthquakes
03/2021 Temperature highs of 71.8°C and pH of 1.59 were last measured from the Main Crater Lake
Bulusan Volcano
Luzon's southernmost volcano, Bulusan, was constructed along the rim of the 11-km-diameter dacitic-to-rhyolitic Irosin caldera, which was formed about 35,000-40,000 years ago. Bulusan lies at the SE end of the Bicol volcanic arc occupying the peninsula of the same name that forms the elongated SE tip of Luzon.
Crater No. 1, called Blackbird Lake, is 20 m in diameter and 15 m deep. The oval Crater No. 2 is 60 m by 30 m and 15 m deep. Crater No. 3 is about 90 m in diameter and 20 m deep and Crater No. 4, which is near the northeastern, rim opened during the 1981 eruption. There is also a 100-meter fissure measuring 5 to 8 m wide below Crater No. 4.. Many moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded at Bulusan since the mid-19th century.
Bulusan Volcano’s seismic monitoring network recorded eight (8) volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours. Weak emission of white steam plumes that crept downslope towards southwest was observed. Precise leveling survey results from December 2-7, 2015 indicated slight inflationary changes of the volcano’s edifice relative to September 2015, consistent with ground deformation measurements from continuous GPS data since August 2015.
Alert Level 0
Bulusan Hazard Maps
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Alert Level 0 (normal) status remains in effect over Bulusan Volcano, which means that it is currently quiet.
Activity reports
Bulusan Volcano’s monitoring network has recorded a total of fifty-three (53) volcanic earthquakes since 03 July 2020 including forty-three (43) low frequency events that are associated with weak and shallow hydrothermal or magmatic gas activity within the edifice. The increased seismicity could be succeeded by steam-driven or phreatic eruptions at the summit crater or from flank vents on the upper to middle slopes, despite the absence of visible degassing or steaming from the active vents this year. Ground deformation data from continuous GPS measurements also indicate a short-term inflation of the edifice since late February 2020. These parameters indicate that volcanic processes are underway beneath the edifice that may be caused by deep-seated degassing or hydrothermal activity or magmatic intrusion.
07/1978 Small ash eruption
08/1978 Brief ash eruption continues
01/1980 Brief eruption with 1-km-high ash clouds
02/1980 Ash explosions and earthquakes
03/1980 Occasional steam and ash explosions continue
04/1980 Moderate ash explosions follows mild activity
06/1980 Steam and ash emission
07/1980 Ash eruption and earthquake swarm
08/1980 Explosions and seismicity continue
09/1980 Small ash ejection
11/1980 Seismic activity decreases
04/1981 Ash ejection and seismicity
06/1981 Earthquake swarm
07/1981 No eruption follows earthquake swarm
06/1983 Two small phreatic explosions from summit crater
04/1986 Seismic swarm in summit caldera
05/1987 Seismic swarm and slightly increased steaming
12/1987 Strong volcanic earthquakes; weak steam emissions
02/1988 Small ash ejections and seismicity
06/1988 Strong seismicity
08/1988 Vigorous seismicity continues; inflation
11/1994 Phreatic explosions cause ashfall in local villages and up to 16 km away
12/1994 Phreatic eruptions continue, but at a slower rate
01/1995 Phreatic ash eruptions continue with low seismicity and deformation
04/2006 Eruptions and earthquakes in March and April 2006 after years of little activity
05/2006 Explosive activity continues
09/2006 Ten explosions recorded seismically between 21 March and 28 June 2006
04/2007 Continued explosive eruptions and ashfall during October 2006 through May 2007
02/2008 Ash ejections continued to at least late 2007
03/2011 Earthquakes and explosions during 6 November 2010-early March 2011
03/2016 Phreatic eruptions May 2011, May–July 2015, and February 2016
02/2017 Phreatic explosions with minor ashfall continue during June-December 2016
08/2017 Weak phreatic explosions on 2 March and 5 June 2017
10/2020 PHIVOLCS lowered the Alert Level for Bulusan to 0, indicating normal conditions.
Kanlaon Volcano
Kanlaon volcano (also spelled Canlaon or Canla-on), the most active of the central Philippines, forms the highest point on the island of Negros. The massive 2435-m-high andesitic stratovolcano is dotted with fissure-controlled pyroclastic cones and craters, many of which are filled by lakes. The largest debris avalanche known in the Philippines traveled 33 km to the SW from Kanlaon. The summit of Kanlaon contains a 2-km-wide, elongated northern caldera with a crater lake and a smaller, but higher, historically active vent, Lugud crater, to the south. Historical eruptions from Kanlaon, recorded since 1866, have typically consisted of phreatic explosions of small-to-moderate size that produce minor ashfalls near the volcano.
The volcano has three hot springs on its slopes: Mambucal Hot Springs on the northwest, Bucalan Hot Spring, Bungol Hot Spring. Its adjacent volcanic edifices are Mt. Silay and Mt. Mandalagan, north of Kanlaon.
On August 10, 1996, Kanlaon erupted without warning. In the 8 days from 23 August to 1 September, 2009, 257 volcanic earthquakes were recorded. Usual seismic activity during quiet periods is 0 to 4 quakes in any 24 hour period. Epicenters of the recorded quakes were clustered at the north-west slope which may indicate movement of an active local fault at the slope induced by pressure beneath the volcano. Surface observations did not show any significant change in the steam emission from the crater." A 4 kilometre Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) is maintained around the volcano, because sudden explosions may occur without warning. Phivolcs continuously monitors volcanic activity at Kanlaon.
Alert Level 1
Kanlaon Hazard Maps
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Kanlaon Volcano's monitoring network did not detect any volcanic earthquake during the 24-hour observation period. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was measured at an average of 538 tonnes/day on 06 March 2021. Ground deformation data from continuous GPS and electronic tilt measurements have been recording a slight inflation of the lower and middle slopes since June 2020. These parameters may indicate hydrothermal, tectonic, or deep-seated magmatic processes occurring deep beneath the edifice.
Activity reports
These activity reports are provided by the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program (GVP). The mission of GVP is to document, understand, and disseminate information about global volcanic activity.
Click on the date of the event. A full report will open in a new tab.
10/1969 Ash eruptions cause mudflow hazards
06/1978 Twenty-minute ash eruption
07/1978 Intermittent ash emission continues
08/1978 Intermittent ash emission continues
05/1980 Earthquake swarm
06/1980 Seismicity declines
11/1980 Seismicity still above normal in late November
02/1985 Steam and ash eruption follows local seismicity
09/1985 Small ash eruption with seismicity
05/1986 Minor ash ejection
06/1986 Renewed explosions and seismicity
04/1987 Ash eruption follows increased seismicity
05/1987 Sulfate increased in thermal area before ash eruption
06/1988 Series of ash ejection
10/1989 Mild ash ejections to 1,200 m
11/1989 Ash ejections decline
12/1991 Small ash emission
05/1992 Small ash emission
08/1993 Phreatic explosions produce gray steam clouds that rise 800-1,000 m
07/1996 Sudden phreatic explosion kills three people
10/2001 Earthquakes increase during early 2001 and begin to decrease 28 March
01/2002 Increased seismicity during January 2002 may be precursor to eruption
05/2002 Increased seismicity during March-April 2002
03/2003 Steam emission in June 2002; ash emissions in November 2002 and March 2003
06/2003 Ash-and-steam explosions between 23 May and 4 July; minor ashfall on 8 June
07/2003 1-km-high plume of ash-laden steam on 10-11 July 2003
08/2003 Frequent ash explosions from 7 March until 23 July 2003
12/2004 Alert level lowered after seismic decrease; January 2005 phreatic ash emission
03/2005 Frequent ash emissions in March and April 2005; access remains restricted
06/2005 May 2005 ash ejections ceasing after the 25th as monitored parameters declined
02/2007 Steam-and-ash explosions in June and July 2006
04/2016 Sporadic ash explosions during November-December 2015 and March 2016
01/2017 Three ash explosions on 18 June 2016; steam plumes through July
12/2017 Three ash explosions on 9 December 2017; steam plumes through July
02/2021 Slightly increased seismic activity and volcanic gas flux at Kanlaon
Volcano Monitoring
Active and potentially active volcanoes in the Philippines are monitored by PHIVOLCS.
On many islands PHIVOLCS maintains local observatories with trained staff and resident volcanologists and geologists.
The most important instruments are the 3 dimensional seismometers. These instruments measure motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources.
With 3 of these instruments, the origin of the motion can be determined with good precision.
Geodetic ground deformation survey (precise leveling) is regularly done on all volcanoes. Active and potentially active volcanoes are measured more frequently.
A volcano usually gets inflated by rising magma. This inflation can be detected by precise leveling.
The third monitored parameter is the quantity and the composition of the gas blown out by the volcano. Carbon dioxide is measured on Taal volcano, Sulfur dioxide emission is measured on Mayon volcano.
On Taal volcano the acidity (pH) of the waters in the crater lake is also analyzed.
