5+Volcanoes+(Part+3)+-+Safety+Measures,+Volcanoes+in+the+Philippines,+Mayon's+Recent+Eruption

Written by Aaron Galano.

I. Safety Precautions A. Before Eruption B. During Eruption
 * 1) Get filter masks and goggles to protect the eyes, nose, and mouth.
 * 2) Have canned goods,bottled water, and other emergency supplies with you just in case fallout occurs.
 * 3) Close doors, windows, vents, and other gaps.
 * 4) Cover cars and other vehicles.
 * 1) Follow all advisories and warnings about the eruption.
 * 2) Avoid permanent danger zones.
 * 3) Cover your nose with a wet cloth to aid in breathing, if ashfall occurs.
 * 4) Cover food to prevent contamination.
 * 5) Evacuate to higher ground or to an evacuation site if lahar will flow to where you are.

C. After Erruption
 * 1) When outside, wear googles, cover mouth and nose, and cover your skin to protect from irratation from ash contact.
 * 2) Clear roofs of ash to avoid collapse.
 * 3) Avoid driving in ash. This can clog engines and stall vehicles.
 * 4) Avoid going outside if you have a respiratory ailment. Wait for authorities to say that you can go outside safely.

II. Volcanoes In The Philippines A. Active 1. Pinatubo 2. Mayon 3. Taal
 * 1) Located:
 * 2) Type: Compound
 * 3) Types of Eruptions: Plinian, Dome Formation, Phreatic
 * 4) 2 historical eruptions (1991, 1992)
 * 5) One of its eruptions is the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century - 800 killed, 100,000 homeless, world decrease in temprature.
 * 1) Located: Albay plains
 * 2) Type: Stratovolcano
 * 3) Types of Eruptions: Strombolian, Vulcanian, Plinian
 * 4) 48 historical eruptions (1616-) 1814 is its most violent eruption.
 * 5) World famous for its perfect symmetrical shape
 * 6) It is considered a National Park - no one is allowed to permanently reside in it.
 * 1) Located: Batangas
 * 2) Type: Cinder Cone
 * 3) Types of Eruptions: Phreatic, Phareatomagmatic, (rarely) Strombolian, and Plinian.
 * 4) 33 eruptions within historical times (1572-1977). The most devastating were: 1716, 1749, 1754, 1911, 1965
 * 5) Is A National Park

B. Potentially Active/Dormant 1.Apo III. Issue- Recent Mayon Eruption A. Timeline of Events
 * 1) Located: Davao
 * 2) Type: Stratovolcano
 * 3) Status: Fumarolic (hole in volcanic area where hot smoke and gases escape)
 * 4) Evidence it is a volcano: Sabangan Volcano - a dome located at the crateral area with an elevation 2.5 m
 * 5) Is a National Park
 * 1) August 10, 2008: Mayon was on watch for an eruption after a few small explosions.
 * 2) September 2, 2008: Mayon was given alert level 1
 * 3) July 6, 2009: Due to the increase in seismic activity and glow at the summit of the volcano, concern for Mayon was increased, but alert level remained at 1.
 * 4) July 10: Alert level 2 was given.
 * 5) July 13, 2009: National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) recommended evacuation of 75,000 people around the volcano.
 * 6) September 15, 2009: A minor erruption occured, producing a 700 m ash and gas column.
 * 7) December 14, 2009: Mayon cotinues to belch ash, prompting 20,000-30,000 to evacuate on Monday.
 * 8) December 15, 2009: Alert level is raised to 3; This prompted at least 47,000 people to evacuate in the next 72 hours.
 * 9) December 16, 2009: Renato Solidum of PHIVOLCS warns that Mayon will turn to the true explosive phase or Plinian phase. Almost 30,000 people were already moved. Media has also started cover this issue.
 * 10) December 17, 2009: SO 2 output rose from 750 tonnes/day to 2,800 tonnes/day. The ash cloud surrounding the volcano reached around 10,000 feet.
 * 11) December 18, 2009: Alert Level 4 was given. Due to the increase in lava, ash, etc. The PHILVOCS predicted a major eruption next week.
 * 12) January 1, 2010: Alert Level is lowered to 3 due to SO2 levels lowering from a high 8,993 tonnes/day to 2,621 tonnes/day, and lack of ash ejections.
 * 13) Juanary 4, 2010: PHIVOLCS may lower the alert level to 2 due to the decrease in activity since December 29. The Albay provincial gov't plans to permanently move residents within Mayon's 6 km danger zone.

B. Mayon Eruption: Contribution to Pollution
 * 1) The volcanic gases that pose the greatest potential hazard to people, animals, agriculture, and property are sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen fluoride.
 * 2) Among these, SO 2 emissions have been rather high. SO 2 is a colorless gas that irritates skin and the tissues and mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat. This substance can also warm or cool the earth depending on the situation and it can interact with CFCs to deplete the ozone layer.

IV. Famous Eruptions A. Mt. Vesuvius, August 24, 79 AD
 * 1) Location: Naples, Italy
 * 2) Type: Stratvolcano
 * 3) Affected Vicinity: Pumice fall 2.5-3 meters deep was deposited at Pompeii (8 km from Mt. Vesuvius) Pyroclastic flow up to 20 meters deep overflowed Herculanum and other towns on the eastern slope. Tephra was found 74 miles away and fine ash flew for hundred of miles.
 * 4) Type of Eruption: Plinian
 * 5) Estimated Amount of Erupted Material: 4 cubic kilometers
 * 6) What Happened:

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 * 1) Erupted material was ejected from the top and sides of the volcano, mostly in the form of "inflated" pumice (9 cubic kilometers).
 * 1) Towns were flattened by devastating pyroclastic flows and by the weight of volcanic debris, the countryside was devastated, and thousands were killed, some of them still undiscovered today.

B. Mt. Pinatubo, June 9-Sept 14, 1991
 * 1) Location: Boundaries of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales
 * 2) Type: Compound
 * 3) Type of Eruption: Plianian, calderagenic
 * 4) Estimated Amount of Erupted Material: 5 cubic kilometers
 * 5) What Happened:


 * 1) The ash cloud rose 22 miles into air. Ash in the lower altitudes was also blown in all directions due to the winds of a typhoon. Ash in the higher altitudes were blown southwestward.
 * 2) A blanket of volcanic ash and larger pumice lapilli blanketed the countryside. Fine ash went to places as far as the Indian Ocean.
 * 3) Avalanches of searing hot ash, gas, and pumice fragments went down Mt. Pinatubo, filling the valleys as much as 660 ft thick.
 * 4) The summit of the volcano collapsed to form a caldera 1.6 miles across.
 * 5) Global tempratures decreased.
 * 6) About 800 were killed, around and 100,000 were left homeless.

 Sources: http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=86per http://www.statefarm.com/learning/disasters/learning_disas_volcano.asp Department of Science and Technology - PHIVOLCS, Operation Taal, page 3-4 and 6 "Majestic Mayon/"'Killer' Taal", Filipino Heritage - The Making of A Nation http://www.camperspoint.com/spip.php?article313 http://geography.about.com/od/globalproblemsandissues/a/pinatubo.htm http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/mayon/index.php?page=1 http://www.healthypinoy.com/health/articles/disaster-preparedness-volcanic-eruption.html http://nilesema.com/volcanosafety.htm http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/01/02/10/alert-level-around-mayon-lowered-3 http://www.smatch-international.org/DestructionPompeii.html http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/ http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/gas/