Recently, the people in Albay suffered great damages because of the Mount Mayon's Eruption. The eruption happened not just ones but many times.
According to the report of PHIVOLCS:
MAYON VOLCANO BULLETIN 02 February 2018 08:00 A.M
Sporadic and weak lava fountaining, continuous lava effusion and degassing from the summit crater characterized Mayon’s activity yesterday. Much of the activity produced low white to light-gray plumes, with the exception of four events that produced 750 to 1500 meter-tall gray ash plumes at 6:04 AM, 7:56 AM, 8:51 AM and 9:11 PM accompanied by loud booming sounds audible within 10 kilometers of the summit crater. Eleven (11) episodes of lava-collapse pyroclastic density current (PDC) events were visually observed between 8:51 AM yesterday and 2:01 AM this morning depositing along Miisi, Basud and Bonga Gullies within two kilometers of the summit crater. Throughout the night, quiet lava effusion fed lava flows and rockfall in the Miisi and Bonga-Buyuan channels and barrancos between these. The Miisi and Bonga-Buyuan lava flows have advanced to 3.2 kilometers and 4.0 kilometers, respectively, from the summit crater.
Alert Level 4 remains in effect over Mayon Volcano.
The public is strongly advised to be vigilant and desist from entering the eight (8) kilometer-radius danger zone, and to be additionally vigilant against pyroclastic density currents, lahars, and sediment-laden stream flows along channels draining the edifice. Civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. DOST-PHIVOLCS maintains close monitoring of Mayon Volcano and any new development will be communicated to all concerned stakeholders.
Until now, the Mount Mayon is still under investigation.
What is the truth behind the behavior of the mountain?
VOLCANO: its activity and eruptions
If we heard the word volcano, all we imagine is that they may be tall, conical mountain with orange lava coming out from the top. Many volcanoes are of this type but little do we know that the term volcano describes a wider range of geological phenomena.
WHAT IS VOLCANO?
In general, a volcano is when some material from inside of the planet makes its way to the surface of the planet. It is like a chimney that allows hot liquid rock, called magma, to flow from a layer within the Earth and erupt onto the surface. The magma can come from as far down as 200 kilometers in the mantle and once it erupts — at a piping hot 700 to 1,200 degrees Celsius — it is called lava.
WHERE ARE VOLCANOES
There are many volcanoes around the world but most of it will be found in the Ring of Fire--a horseshoe-shaped area around the Pacific Ocean.
HOW VOLCANO WORK
In our basic science, we learned the basics of a volcano and its parts but some of us don't know what is the science behind this phenomenon.
Volcanoes form when a hot molten rock, boil to the surface. The mass of these molten rocks inside the earth will remain the same while its volume will increase--producing a melt that is less dense than the surrounding rock. These hot molten rocks are also called the "chambers of magma". These are sealed for hundreds of years between the eruptions until there will be a great pressure that is capable to break through a vent, which is a crack or weak spot in the rock above. The lighter magma will then rises toward the surface by virtue of its buoyancy. The blast will create a crater and the lava and ash will spill out forming the cone. Some of the volcanoes, the magma chamber will collapse after a violent eruption. There will be the formation of caldera, which is just a large, bowl-shaped crater.
So there are several factors triggering a volcanic eruption, three predominate:
- the buoyancy of the magma,
- the pressure from the exsolved gases in the magma and;
- the injection of a new batch of magma into an already filled magma chamber
VOLCANIC RISK AFTER THE ERUPTION
It's a good thing that the lava moves slowly and human can get out its way quickly but when a volcano explodes, it will be risky.
- There will be a "volcanic bombs". These are made of rock that can fly out of the vent;
- An eruption cloud made of ash and gas that shoots up into the air;
- Exploding volcanoes also lead to mudslides and tsunami;
- Earthquakes, landslides, and flooding from volcanoes melting surrounding glaciers are some events associated with the eruption.
BUT WHAT ARE THE EFFECT ON HUMAN HEALTH?
The volcanic ash is the one that will truly affect our health-- in particular, the carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Especially the carbon dioxide which is the most dangerous volcanic gas because of its density that could settle and stay near the ground. They are composed of fine particles that could easily be breath and will go directly to the smallest part of your lungs. Not only the lungs will be affected but also the eye symptoms, skin irritation, and indirect effects.
According to the published THE HEALTH HAZARDS OF VOLCANIC ASH: A guide for the public:
RESPIRATORY EFFECTS
Common acute (short-term) symptoms include:
- Nasal irritation and discharge (a runny nose).
- Throat irritation and sore throat, sometimes accompanied by dry coughing.
- People with pre-existing chest complaints may develop severe bronchitic symptoms which last some days beyond
exposure to ash (for example, hacking cough, production of sputum, wheezing, or shortness of breath).- Airway irritation for people with asthma or bronchitis; common complaints of people with asthma include shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing.
- Breathing becomes uncomfortable.
EYE SYMPTOMS
Common symptoms include:
- Eyes feeling as though there are foreign particles in them.
- Eyes becoming painful, itchy or bloodshot.
- Sticky discharge or tearing.
- Corneal abrasions or scratches.
- Acute conjunctivitis or the inflammation of the conjunctival sac that surrounds the eyeball due to the presence of ash, which leads to redness, burning of the eyes, and photosensitivity
SKIN IRRITATION
It's not common to have a skin problem caused by the ash but some might be a victim because of the acidity.
Symptoms include:
- Irritation and reddening of the skin.
- Secondary infections due to scratching.
so if you suffered one of these symptoms especially those people in Albay, better go to the doctor because "It's the health is the real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver ".
by: Mahatma Gandhi
References:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-11-22/volcanoes-heres-what-happens-when-they-erupt/8997014
https://www.livescience.com/56-volcanoes-work.html
https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/publications/volcanic-ash-health.pdf