Mount Bulusan

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Bulusan
Bulusan volcano seen here from the west.
Elevation	1,565 m (5,135 ft)
Location	Luzon, Philippines
Coordinates	12.77° N 124.05° E
Type	Stratovolcano
Last eruption	2007

Mount Bulusan, or Bulusan Volcano, is the southernmost volcano on Luzon Island in the Philippines. It is found in the province of Sorsogon in the Bicol region (12.77° N 124.05° E), 70 km southeast of Mayon Volcano and approximately 250 km southeast of the Philippine capital of Manila.

1 Physical features
2 Eruptions
- 2.1 Volcanic activity, July-August 2007
3 Active volcanoes in the Philippines
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Physical features

Bulusan is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano (composite volcano) inside a caldera that was formed about 40,000 years before the present. It has an elevation of 1,565 metres above sea level and a base diameter of 15 km.

It has four craters and four hot springs. Crater No. 1, called Blackbird Lake, is 20 m in diameter and 15 m deep. The oval Crater No. 2 is 60 m by 30 m and 15 m deep. Crater No. 3 is about 90 m in diameter and 20 m deep and Crater No. 4, which is near the northeastern, rim opened during the 1981 eruption. There is also a 100-meter fissure measuring 5 to 8 m wide below Crater No. 4.

Its hot springs are San Benon Springs, Mapaso Springs, San Vicente Springs, Masacrot Springs

Its adjacent volcanic edifices are Mt. Homahan, Mt. Binitacan, Mt. Batuan, Mt. Calungalan, Mt. Calaunan, Mt. Tabon-Tabon, Mt. Juban, and Mt. Jormajan.

[edit] Eruptions

Bulusan is generally known for its sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions. It is one of the 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines and after Mayon, Taal and Pinatubo is considered the 4th most active, having erupted 15 times since 1886.

See below: Active volcanoes in the Philippines

This is a profile of Mount Bulusan, February 2007, with activity that appeared to be releasing gaseous material and ash.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) declared Alert Level 1 on March 19, 2006 after it recorded increased seismic unrest. On June 8, 2006, volcanologists raised Alert Level 2 (moderate level of seismic unrest) after it spewed ash. On June 9, the resulting ash cloud damaged a number of houses in the nearby town of Casiguran, 5 km north of the volcano, and reached Sorsogon City, about 20 kilometres north of Bulusan.

On June 13, 2006, volcanologists said new craters were created by the mild explosions of Mt. Bulusan. Aside from the new craters, two of the volcano's four craters appeared to have merged and cracks were observed on the crater on the western side of the summit. Another eruption took place on April 8, 2007^[1]

[edit] Volcanic activity, July-August 2007

Following some signs of volcanic activity, on the morning of July 31, 2007, 9.37am (local time), there was a loud explosion described by locals as like a bomb going off. A cloud of steam and ash shot from Mt. Bulusan, into the air to a height of 5 miles and drifted, to be deposited over the surrounding countryside. The eruption lasted for 20 minutes. ^[2]

There are evacuation procedures in place for parts of the peninsular, the farms nearest the volcano have been evacuted and many of the village schools are closed as it is considered possible that a more destructive eruption could occur. ^[3]