THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on Friday issued a notice to airmen advising them to avoid flying near Kanlaon Volcano and Mount Bulusan, which are in abnormal condition and period of unrest.
The CAAP noted that Kanlaon Volcano’s seismic monitoring network recorded six volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours.
“Flights operating in the vicinity of the volcano are advised to avoid flying to [sic] summit as ejecta from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft effective 03 Feb. 2017 8:08 a.m. until 04 Feb. 2017, 9 a.m.,” the CAAP said.
The aviation authority released the notice around 10:30 am Friday.
CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said Notam was a notice distributed by means of telecommunication containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations.
The authorities came up with the advisory hours after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Alert Level 1 for the volcano in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, following a steam explosion from its summit.
The Bulusan Volcano’s seismic monitoring network, on the other hand, recorded two volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours.
Apolonio said Alert Level 1 meant it was currently in a state of unrest probably driven by hydrothermal processes.
He added this indicated hydrothermal processes were underway beneath the volcano that might lead to steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.