A minor explosive eruption occurred from the summit crater of Kanlaon at 3:11 PM today, 06 February 2025, which lasted two (2) minutes based on seismic and infrasound records of the Kanlaon Volcano Network. The eruption generated a poorly visible plume that rose 600 meters above the vent before drifting southwest, scattering thin ashfall over Sto. Mercedes and San Luis, Brgy. Sag-ang, Negros Occidental. The explosion also generated an airwave that was recorded at 70 Pascals five kilometers east of the summit crater and heard as a booming sound in Brgy. Yubo, La Carlota City and Brgy. Sag-ang, La Castellana, Negros Occidental. Sulfurous fumes were also reported in several barangays of La Castellana. Because the eruption occurred during rainy weather, syn-eruption channel-confined lahars were immediately generated in the Buhangin River which flows through La Castellana and Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental. Prior to the event, SO2 flux was measured at an average of 2,249 tonnes/day, a significant drop from the medium-term average of 4,484 tonnes/day since 03 June 2024, while degassing from the summit crater has been weak since the previous evening. The upper to middle slopes of the edifice have been undergoing inflation or swelling since 10 January 2025, and when occasional plugging of the volcanic conduit occur and SO2 emission and degassing weakens, the resulting pressure build-up within the conduit could trigger explosions such as today’s event.
Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest) prevails over Kanlaon Volcano. This means that the magmatic eruption that occurred may be followed by similar short-lived explosive eruptions in the short term which may generate pyroclastic density currents (PDC) within the 6-kilometer radius area on the summit. It is therefore recommended that communities within a 6-km radius of the summit crater be evacuated due to the danger of lava flows, rockfalls, pyroclastic density currents or PDCs and other related hazards. Local government units must also prepare their communities within the PDC hazard zone for subsequent evacuation in case unrest further escalates and hazardous worst-case explosive eruption becomes imminent. Increased vigilance against potential syn-eruption lahars and sediment-laden streamflows in channels draining the edifice is strongly advised should intense rains occur during eruptive unrest. Civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
DOST-PHIVOLCS maintains close monitoring of Kanlaon Volcano and any new development will be communicated to all concerned stakeholders.
DOST-PHIVOLCS