MANILA, Philippines – Changes in the condition of Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province could lead to “further unrest,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned on Tuesday, August 1.

Phivolcs said in an advisory issued at 3 pm that it recorded 8 volcano-tectonic earthquakes from 9:08 am to 10:46 am on Tuesday.

The strongest ranged from magnitude 0.7 to 2.0 and occurred 4 to 7 kilometers beneath Bulusan Volcano’s southern sector.

“Degassing at the summit crater and the active northwest vents has been otherwise weak the past days,” added Phivolcs.

Bulusan’s edifice has also been inflated or swollen since December 2022.

“In sum, these changes in the condition of the volcano may progress into further unrest and potentially trigger steam-driven or phreatic eruptions from any of its active vents,” Phivolcs said.

For now, Bulusan remains under Alert Level 0. It was downgraded to that level, the lowest, last January 18.

But Phivolcs said on Tuesday that it may raise Alert Level 1 if “current monitoring parameters persist.”

The agency also reminded local government units and the public to avoid entry into the 4-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone surrounding the volcano, “particularly near the vents on the south-southeastern slopes.”

Aside from phreatic eruptions, rockfalls and landslides are also possible. – Rappler.com