Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island continued to spew steam yesterday, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology assured that its behavior had no link to the unrest at Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon.

Science research analyst Ben Tanatan of PHIVOLCS said Kanlaon spewed voluminous grayish steam that rose 1.5 to 2 kilometers above the summit from 7:05 to 7:18 a.m. and from 1:46 to 2:20 p.m. yesterday.

The ash fall was confined to two to three kilometers of the upper slopes of the volcano, he said.

Alert Level 1 remains over Kanlaon to prevent trekkers from entering the four kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone until further notice. PHIVOLCS has warned that Kanlaon has entered into a period of low level unrest that could intensify should sudden steam and ash explosions occur and generate hazardous volcanic flow.

Areas fronting gullies leading to the upper slopes should be avoided because lahar and rock fall may affect them, especially during heavy rains on the volcano's slopes, PHIVOLCS said.

On Wednesday Kanlaon also spewed grayish ash that rose 1 kilometer high from 8:45 to 8:55 a.m. and 1.5 kilometer high from 8:56 to 9:24 a.m.

A PHIVOLCS advisory yesterday assured that Kanlaon Volcano's ash emissions have nothing to do with the ongoing unrest at Mt. Bulusan.

PHIVOLCS said the period of unrest at Mayon in Albay, Bulusan in Sorsgosn, Kanlaon in Negros Island and Taal in Batangas is just "coincidental". Each volcano has its own magma chamber and this are not physically connected, PHIVOLCS said.

It explained that the groundwater and rainwater could have come in contact with hot rocks on the surface, "so the sudden conversion of water into steam triggers the ash emission".*CPG

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