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A giant mushroom-shaped cloud shot up from the Philippines’ most active volcano on Monday, darkening the skies and raining ash on communities where tens of thousands have fled after warnings of an impending eruption.Mayon volcano’s new activity prompted state volcanologists to raise the alert level one notch higher than the initial warning scientists issued last week, meaning a hazardous eruption is possible within days. Fine ash and sand fell on Legazpi, a city of about 200,000 people, and nearby areas after the midday explosion of Mount Mayon, forcing motorists to turn on their windshield wipers and headlamps, an AFP video...

MANILA, Philippines - The Mayon Volcano has abruptly calmed down with no ash explosions taking place on Wednesday and a "very weak" emission of white steam from the crater summit. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), however, has maintained Alert Level 4 over the restive volcano, which means a hazardous explosion is still imminent. In its December 31 bulletin, the Phivolcs said lava was still flowing out of the volcano's crater and the rolling down of incandescent lava fragments along the Bonga gully continued. "No ash explosion was observed during times of good visibility. Emission of very weak...

MANILA, Philippines - The Mayon Volcano's feared hazardous eruption may happen within the week, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Wednesday. "Yes. It is possible because the rate of changing from moderate-sized explosion, as we observed yesterday (Tuesday), is quite fast," Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum told ANC's News@8 when asked if the hazardous explosion may occur this week. Solidum, however, clarified that the Mayon Volcano may still calm down or settle with moderate eruptions during the week. He warned people that the continuous lava flow from the volcano still poses danger and the 6-kilometer to 8-kilometer danger...

While the environmentalists and climate change cultists were freezing their butts off worrying about saving the planet because of global warming and atmospheric pollution caused by carbon dioxide, the planet itself didn't seem to want to be saved. Or maybe the planet has to destroy itself to save itself. Or something. Anyway, off in the Philippines, Mount Mayon volcano has had a total of 248 volcanic quakes and tremors since Monday. In a statement, Phivolcs director Renato Solidum explained that 50 of these events were explosion-type, wherein minor explosions produced volcanic earthquakes and tremors. "However, only seven were observed during...

MANILA, Philippines – Authorities moved thousands of villagers from harm's way near the Philippines' most active volcano Tuesday after it oozed lava and shot plumes of ash, and said they probably will spend a bleak Christmas in an evacuation center. State volcanologists raised the alert level on the cone-shaped, 8,070-foot (2,460-meter) Mayon volcano overnight to two steps below eruption after ash explosions and dark orange lava fragments glowing in the dark trickled down the mountain slope. Nearly 50,000 people live in a five-mile (eight-kilometer) radius around the mountain, and authorities began moving thousands of them in case it erupts, Albay...

Legazpi City (10 July) -- Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has raised today Mayon Volcano's alert status from Level 1 (low level unrest) to Level 2 (moderate unrest) after it manifested increasing volcanic quakes, swelling of its edifice and intense crater glow. Phivolcs said parameters monitored since last month indicated an increase in the current activity of the volcano, manifesting low frequency volcanic earthquakes rising to a higher level signifying possible movement of magma beneath the volcano edifice at shallow depth. The hoisting of Alert Level 2 signifies a state of unrest which could lead to ash explosions...

(2nd UPDATE) MUDFLOWS from the slopes of the Mayon volcano, triggered by heavy rains from typhoon "Reming" (international codename: Durian) buried at least eight villages, killing up to 20 people and prompting search and rescue operations for an unspecified number of missing, local and disaster officials said Friday. But the Associated Press, quoting a report by Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, said that up to 100 people may have been killed or injured in one village after it was swamped by rain-soaked volcanic debris. Padang is on the foothills of the volcano, which erupted in July, depositing millions of...

Finding recent pictures of Mayon's current eruption isn't easy. Here are two: This picture of lava on the mountain was taken July 31. This picture of a pyroclastic flow on Mayon's slopes was taken August 12. Mayon is a beautiful mountain when it isn't being nasty, and it's amazingly symmetrical. Two views:

QUITO, Ecuador - August 17, 2006 - A volcanic eruption in Ecuador's Andes mountains destroyed three villages, killed at least one man and left more than 60 others missing, the mayor of a village on the volcano's slope said Thursday. One body was recovered after the overnight eruption of lava from Tungurahua, in the country's high Andes, and four others were believed to be under the rubble, Penipe Mayor Juan Salazar said. Salazar told Channel 4 television that the villages of Chilibu, Choglontuz and Palitagua "no longer exist. Everything is wiped out." "This is an indescribable catastrophe," Salazar said. "The...

[photo] (2ND UPDATE) LEGAZPI CITY -- A mandatory evacuation of affected villagers living within the eight-kilometer (five-mile) radius around Mayon Volcano is ongoing as of posting time after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the alert level to 4 amid forecast of an “imminent” eruption. The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) ordered that affected areas should be "no man's land" by noon Monday. The Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office said that at least 74,069 people or 13,870 families from 40 villages in three cities and five municipalities faced evacuation. Albay Governor Fernando Gonzales said...