Bulusan volcano (Luzon Island, Philippines): sudden large phreatic eruption today

Phreatic eruption at Bulusan volcano today (image: @m_pistolesi/twitter)

Phreatic eruption at Bulusan volcano today (image: @m_pistolesi/twitter)

A spectacular violent explosion occurred at the volcano at 10:37 local time today.
A tall and dense ash column rose 1 km above the edifice and drifted west.
The event, visible by local observers in Juban, Casiguran, Sorsogon, lasted approx. 17 min. and was characterized as phreatic or hydrothermal, i.e. steam-driven blast of old solidified rock without new magma emerging.

Soon after the eruption, fine fresh ash deposits covered surfaces in the areas mentioned above.

Prior to the event, 77 quakes have been detected over the past 24 hours associated by long-lasting inflation since July 2020 hinting that volcanic gases have reached the shallow hydrothermal system.

Therefore, the volcano observatory PHILVOCS raised the alert status to Level 1.

Source: Phillippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology volcano activity update 5 June 2022