Mayon Volcano

Mayon Volcano (Mount Mayon) is an active strato volcano found in Albay Bicol on the island of Luzon, Philippines. It has a perfect cone shape; It was named after a legendary folk Daragang magayon. It was among the 7 wonders of nature in the Philippines. Mayon Volcano reaches 2,460 meters and is the central feature of the Albay Province, of which Legazpi City is the capital, about 300-km southeast of Manila. It must be one of the most beautiful volcanic cones anywhere in the world and is visible for miles around in the otherwise flat landscape of the region. The volcano is still active and has erupted in 2000 and 2001. There is a research station (PHIVOLCS) located about one-third of the way up that is accessible by road and is the jump-off for climbers. Mayon Volcano is the Philippines’ most active volcano and is considered to be the world’s most perfectly formed volcano for its symmetrical cone. It is a basaltic-andesitic volcano. The upper slopes of the volcano are steep averaging 35-40 degrees and are capped by a small summit crater. Its sides are layers of lava and other volcanic material. It is located on the eastern side of Luzon, beside the Philippine Trench which is the convergent boundary where the Philippine Sea Plate is driven under the Philippine Mobile Belt. Where a continental plate or belt of continental fragments meets an oceanic plate, the lighter continental material overrides the oceanic plate, forcing it down into the Earth’s mantle. Magma may be forced through weaknesses in the continental crust caused by the collision of the tectonic plates. One such exit point is Mayon.
RECORDED ERUPTION
Mayon Volcano has a total of forty-nine eruptions. The first recorded major eruption was in 1616. At present the volcano is weakly erupting and may be building up to a larger hazardous eruption. The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814. Lava flowed but not as much compared to the 1766 eruption. Mayon Volcano’s longest uninterrupted eruption occurred on June 23, 1897 which lasted for seven days of raining fire. Lava once again flowed down to civilization. Seven miles eastward, the village of Bacacay was buried 15 m (49 ft) beneath the lava.

• 2006 Eruption – Mayon erupted from July to October 2006, it has no loss of life recorded.
• 2008 Eruption – Mayon Erupted last August 10, 2008. A summit explosion ejected ash 200 metres above the summit, with the ash drifting east northeast.
• 2009-2010 Eruption – It was monitored from July 2009 to January 2010. Until January 13, 2010, it has reduce its hazards of eruption.