VOLCANO HAZARDS

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the different classifications of volcanoes.

2. Explain and differentiate the volcanic hazards.
3. Recognize signs of an impending volcanic
eruption.
 What is a VOLCANO?
❑ Is an opening or vent on ❑ Volcanoes are
the earth's surface when generally
molten rocks, gases and CONICAL IN
ashes are ejected. SHAPE.

❑ When there is a
movement in the plates
❑ When the magma ❑ When magma ❑ When lava is
where the volcano is on
is outside the reaches the deposited
top of, the pressure is
volcanoes, it is surface, this outside the
released, causing magma
called as lava. causes eruption of Earth’s crust, it
to erupt the surface.
lava and ash. cools down and
forms volcanic
rocks.
PARTS OF A VOLCANO
CALDERA – is a large circular hole that forms when
the top of volcano collapses.

NUÉE-ARDENTE - is a hot glowing clouds

 BENEFITS OF VOLCANISM
1. Presence of hot springs.
2. Provides geothermal energy.
3. Emits oxygen.
4. Contributes to global cooling when ashes block the UV rays.
5. Provides minerals that fertile the soil.
6. Adds natural beauty to the environment.

VOLCANOES ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO:

1. It’s activity.
2. It’s composition and structure .
3. It’s eruption.
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF VOLCANO
By ACTIVITY:
1. ACTIVE VOLCANO- has at least an eruption within the last 10,000 years.
e.g. – Taal volcano

2. ERUPTING VOLCANO - as active volcano erupts, distinguished as either explosive

or quiet.

3. DORMANT VOLCANO- has not erupted within the last 10,000 years. It is not
certain when this kind of volcano will erupt but is expected to occur in the future.
E.g. Mount St. Helens

4. EXTINCT VOLCANO- has not had an eruption within historic times and is not
expected to erupt again in a comparable time scale in the future.
e.g. Kuhala in Big island, Hawaii
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF VOLCANO
By COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE:
1. SHIELD VOLCANO- is generally low and dome shape, are mountains that have
been slowly shaped by lava flows, with diametr of 4.8 to 6.4 km. And height of
above 1,200-1,500 feet.
E.g. Mauna Loa ( world’s largest shield volcano)

2. CINDER CONE- (cone-shaped volcano)are the result of eruption from a single vent,
are typically viewed as hardened lava which piled up around the vent and then
formed a mountain. They are generally about 300 to 1,200 feet.
E.g. Smith volcano in Calayan island in Cagayan

3. STRATOVOLCANO- or composite volcano are formed by alternating layers of lava

and pyroclastic materials from multiple eruptions that occurred through time.
They can rise up to height up to 8,000 feet.
E.g. Mayon volcano
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF VOLCANO
By ERUPTIONS:
1. EXPLOSIVE ERUPTION- happens due to the building of thick magma
with high silica content. It is slow flowing and very viscous. This
eruption is rapid and very violent. It spews lava, ash and other volcanic
material over large distances.

2. QUIET – or fissure eruption emits a lot of lava coming from a fissure or

crack in the surface. Lava derived from magma with low silica content
has a low viscosity allowing gas to escape.
 VOLCANOES IN THE PHILIPPINES
• The Philippines is located • Descriptions under Eruption • The list below showing 25
within the Pacific Ring of were based on the GVP website. ACTIVE VOLCANOES IN
Fire. The frequency of Historical THE PHILIPPINES was
• Volcanoes in the Eruptions excludes questionable based on the PHIVOLCS list
Philippines are formed or Uncertain accounts based on with some included from
along subduction zones. the two sources mentioned. the GVP. The number is not
A chain of volcanoes definite and depends on
called an arc. someone's definition of
"active" or historical time
• There are 25 active
frame.
volcanoes in the country
listed by PHILVOCS.

*Global Volcanism Program (GVP)

ACTIVE VOLCANOES IN THE PHILIPPINES Eruptions[1] DESCRIPTION AND CURRENT STATUS
Name Province(s)[1]

❖ AMBALATUNGAN GROUP Kalinga 0 Explosions in 1952 is uncertain.[4] Fumarolic with solfataras and thermal springs.

❖ BABUYAN CLARO Cagayan 3 Eruptions were recorded in 1831, 1860 and 1913. Askedna Hot Springs is in the
southern base of the volcano.

❖ BANAHAW Laguna, Quezon 4 Eruptions were uncertain during the mudflows of 1730, 1743, 1843 and 1909.[5]

❖ BILIRAN Biliran 1 Phreatic eruption in 1939. Fumarolic with thermal springs

❖ BULUSAN Sorsogon 17 Eruptions years are from 1886 to 2011. Permanently monitored

❖ CABALIAN[1] Southern Leyte 1 Radiocarbon dating on a pyroclastic flow deposit from the volcano estimated that the
last eruption was in 1820
❖ CAGUA Cagayan 1 Eruption in 1860 and strong solfataric activity in 1907. Thermal areas are near the
summit and NW to NNE flanks.

❖ CAMIGUIN DE BABUYANES Cagayan 1 Its only recorded eruption was in 1857. Fumarolic with thermal springs

❖ DIDICAS Cagayan 6 Eruptions in 1773, 1856, 1900, 1952, 1969 and 1978. A submarine volcano till 1952
when a permanent island was formed.[6]

❖ HIBOK-HIBOK Camiguin 5 Eruption in years 1827, 1862, 1871 and 1948–1952. Activity from 1897–1902 was
only solfataric. Permanently monitored.

❖ IRAYA Batanes 1 Last eruption was in 1454. Seismic swarm in 1998.

❖ IRIGA Camarines Sur 0 The eruption in 1628 was discredited.[7]
❖ JOLO GROUP Sulu 0 Uncertain submarine eruption in 1897. Listed as Bud Dajo, a cinder cone on Jolo
Island, in the PHIVOLCS list.

*Global Volcanism Program (GVP)

ACTIVE VOLCANOES IN THE PHILIPPINES
NAME Province(s)[1] Eruptions[1] DESCRIPTION AND CURRENT STATUS

❖ KANLAON Negros Occidental, 26 Eruptions were recorded from 1886 to 2006. On November 23, 2015 the volcano had
Negros Oriental a small, steam-driven explosion. PHIVOLCS raised the alert level to 1 (mild
restiveness). Permanently monitored.
❖ LEONARD KNIASEFF Davao de Oro 0 Last eruption was dated as c.120 AD.[8] Strong thermal features.

❖ MAKATURING Lanao del Sur 2 Eruption recorded in 1865 and 1882. The 1856 and 1858 eruptions was credited to
Ragang[9][10]
❖ MATUTUM South Cotabato 0 Mountain was fumarolic on March 7, 1911, but if an eruption occurred was uncertain.
Thermal springs in Akmoan and Linan.[11][12]

❖ MAYON Albay 50 Eruptions were recorded from 1616 to 2013. Permanently monitored. Most recent
major volcanic activity occurred in 2020 (ongoing).
❖ MUSUAN Bukidnon 2 Eruptions in 1866 & 1867. Strong seismic swarm in 1976.

❖ PARKER South Cotabato 1 A caldera-forming eruption occurred on January 4, 1641.

❖ PINATUBO Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga 3 Reawakened in 1991, producing the 2nd largest eruption in the 20th century.
Followed by milder eruptions in 1992 and 1993.

❖ RAGANG Lanao del Sur, Cotabato 7 Eruption years are from 1765 to 1873. Eruptions were uncertain in 1915 and 1916.

❖ SAN PABLO Laguna, Batangas 0 Last activity was the formation of Sampaloc Lake around 1350 AD +/- 100 years
VOLCANIC FIELD determined by anthropology[3][13]
❖ SMITH Cagayan 6 Eruption years are from 1652 to 1924. Combined with Babuyan Claro on the GVP
list.
❖ TAAL Batangas 35 Previous eruption years are from 1572 to 1977. Currently erupting.. Permanently
monitored.
*Global Volcanism Program (GVP)
SIGNS OF IMPENDING VOLCANIC ERUPTION
1. Increased frequency of VOLCANIC
QUAKES with rumbling sounds;
occurrence of volcanic tremors.
2. INCREASED STEAMING ACTIVITY;
change in color of steam emission
from white to gray due to entrained
ash.
3. CRATER GLOW due to presence of
magma at or near the crater.
4. GROUND SWELLS (inflation);
GROUND TILT AND GROUND
FISSURING due to magma intrusion.
5. Localized LANDSLIDES, ROCK FALLS
and landslides from the summit area
not attributed to heavy rains.
6. INCREASED TEMPERATURE OF HOT
SPRINGS,WELLS (e.g Bulusan and
Kanlaon) and crater lake (e.g Taal) near
the volcano.
7. Noticeable variation in THE
CHEMICAL CONTENT OF SPRINGS AND
CRATER within the vicinity of the
volcano.
8. Noticeable increase in the extent of
DRYING UP OF VEGETATION around the
volcanoes upper slope.
9. DRYING UP OF SPRINGS/wells around
the volcano.
10. Development of NEW THERMAL
AREAS and/or reactivation of old ones;
appearance of solfataras (shallow
volcanic craters)
 VOLCANO HAZARDS
1. LAHAR
▪ Is a mudflow composed of rocky debris, water
and pyroclastic materials.
▪ Lahar has a maximum temperature of 100
degrees- the boiling point of water.
▪ Lahar flows with speeds from few meters per
second to several tens of meters per second
▪The rocky debris they carry varies from as
small as ash to large boulders that measure
more than 10 meters in diameter.
▪Primary factor is a major typhoon followed
by an eruption.
▪Second factor is the pyroclastic flow
 VOLCANO HAZARDS
2. ASH FALL
▪ Unlike the ash that is produced by product
of combustion, volcanic ash or tephra is
hard, extremely abrasive, mildly corrosive,
conducts electricity when wet, and does
not dissolve in water.
▪ Once the hot ash and gas rise into the air, it
creates an eruption column.
▪ When ash fall occur during daytime, the sky
would turn hazy, and sunlight would turn
into pale yellow color and near volcano will
turn to darkness.

▪ Ash is slippery when wet.

 VOLCANO HAZARDS
3. PYROCLASTIC FLOW
▪ Are high-density mixtures of hot, dry
rock fragments and hot gases that
move away from the vent that
erupted them at a high speed.

▪ Basal flow -turbulent cloud of ash

known to exhibit high temperature
 VOLCANO HAZARDS
4. BALLISTIC PROJECTILE
▪ Basically rocks that an erupting
volcano sends into the air.

▪ The rocks can vary in size and

density.
▪ Permanent Danger Zone:
six (6) km radius from the summit
 VOLCANO HAZARDS
5. VOLCANIC GASES
▪ Carbon monoxide
▪ Carbon dioxide
▪ Sulfur dioxide
▪ Hydrogen sulfide
▪ Hydrogen chloride
▪ Hydrogen fluorine
▪ Helium
Carbon Dioxide
▪-Heavier than air
▪- Invisible
▪- Fatal
 VOLCANO HAZARDS
6. LAVA FLOW
▪ As stream of molten rock that flows out
of volcano or volcanic vent.
▪ Lava flows can be very fluid or very
sticky , depending on its composition
and temperature.
▪ A hot, fluid lava can travel farther
distances the cooler, sticky type.
THE TYPE OF THE SPEED OF A LAVA FLOW IS DEPENDENT ON SEVERAL FACTORS:

▪The type of lava erupted and its viscosity

▪How steep is the slope of the ground that it travels.
▪If the lava flows as a broad sheet, down a lava tube or a restricted channel
▪The rate at which lava is produced from the vent.
VOLCANO ALERT LEVEL
 SUMMING UP
1. Classifications of Volcano 4. Hazards from a Volcano 5. Signs of impending Volcanic eruption
A. By Activity a.Lahar 6. Alert levels
B. By composition b.Ash fall
C. By Eruption c.Pyroclastic fall
2. Benefits from a Volcano d.Ballistic projectile
3. Active volcanoes in the Philippines e.Volcanic Gases
f. Lava flow

“ Are you willing to pay a visit to an active volcano that is not erupting?

Sources : Parena Jr. J. (2017) Exploring Life Through Science- Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction. Philippines: Phoenix
Publishing House.

De Guzman, F.R., Suarez, D.A.M. (2016) Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction. Philippines: Vibal Group Inc

www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph