ERUPTION OF MT. MAYONThe Philippines

May 7, 2013

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna,

Virginia, USA 

CURRENT THINKING ABOUT MT. MAYON

• At present, Philippine volcanologists believe on the basis of ongoing monitoring that an imminent major eruption of Mt. Mayon is NOT likely.

A SMALL AND DEADLY ERUPTION

Scientists called Tuesday’s steam-generated explosion a “small phreatic event,” but it not only killed five, but also left at least six people injured

ERUPTION OF MAYON MAY 7, 2011

ERUPTION OF MAYON

LATERAL BLAST

VOLCANICERUPTIONS

PYROCLASTIC FLOWS

FLYING DEBRIS

VOLCANIC ASH

LAVA FLOWS

LAHARS

TOXIC GASES

CAUSES OF RISK

CASE HISTORIES

PAST ERUPTIONS OF MT. MAYON

• Mt. Mayon has had 48 recorded eruptions in the past 400 years, with the 1841 event the most destructive when lava from the volcano buried the entire town of Cagsawa and killed more than 1,200 people.

LAST ERUPTION OF MT. MAYON

• Before the May 7th eruption, Mt. Mayon’s last eruption was in December 2009.

MT. MAYON IN 2009

• On Tuesday December 15, 2009, the Philippines evacuated around 20,000 people from the slopes of Mt. Mayon as plumes of ash exploded skyward and lava oozed down its upper slopes.

MT. MAYONDECEMBER 15, 2009