Mayon Volcano

Mayon Volcano Latest News

A series of mild eruptions at Mayon Volcano, the most active in the Philippines, has forced nearly 3,000 villagers to evacuate from its foothills recently.

About Mayon Volcano

• It is an active stratovolcano located in Albay province on Luzon Island in the Philippines.
• It is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
• It is the Philippines’ most active volcano. 
• Called the world’s most perfect volcanic cone because of the symmetry of its shape, it has a base 130 km in circumference and rises to 2,462 metres from the shores of Albay Gulf.
• It has steep upper slopes capped by a small summit crater. 
• Popular with climbers and campers, the volcano is the centre of Mayon Volcano National Park.
• There are large abaca plantations on its lower slopes. 
• Historical eruptions date back to 1616 CE that have been characterized by Strombolian eruptions, lava flows, pyroclastic flows, and mudflows. 
  • Mayon’s most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1200 people and devastated several towns. 
  • An eruption in 1993 caused 79 deaths. 
  • Subsequent eruptions in 2000, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2018 and 2022 forced tens of thousands of people in nearby villages to evacuate. 

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What is a Stratovolcano?

• It is a tall, steep, and cone-shaped type of volcano.
• Unlike flat shield volcanoes, they have higher peaks.
• They are typically found above subduction zones, and they are often part of large volcanically active regions, such as the Ring of Fire that frames much of the Pacific Ocean.
• Stratovolcanoes comprise the largest percentage (~60%) of the Earth’s individual volcanoes, and most are characterized by eruptions of andesite and dacite, lavas that are cooler and more viscous than basalt.
• These more viscous lavas allow gas pressures to build up to high levels. Therefore, these volcanoes often suffer explosive eruptions. 
• They are usually about half-half lava and pyroclastic material, and the layering of these products gives them their other common name of composite volcanoes.
• At the peak, stratovolcanoes usually have a small crater.

Source: DEVD