Mount Mayon Facts

Mayon (also known as Mount Mayon or Mount Mayon Volcano) is an active stratovolcano in Bicol Region in the Philippines.

The Mayon Volcano Natural Park is the centerpiece of the Albay Biosphere Reserve, and it was declared a national park in 1938. It is the most active volcano in the Philippines.

The volcano Mayon was declared a national park in 1938 and named after a local legend. The volcano and its landscape are the centerpieces of the Albay Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO in 2016.

Mount Mayon Facts for Kids

  • Mount Mayon erupted for the first time in 1616, and since then, it has erupted 58 times.
  • In 1814, Mount Mayon erupted, killing more than 1200 people
  • Cagawa is the nearest town to this volcano. It is 16 kilometers away.
  • The volcano is a landmark of Albay Province and a major tourist spot.
  • Mount Mayon is part of the Ring of Fire, a chain of volcanoes located on the Pacific Ocean’s edge.
  • In the 20th century, there were three eruptions: in 1984, 1993, and 1999.

Recorded eruptions

In the past 500 years, Mayon has erupted 47 times. A long-term account of the first recorded eruption is that of the six-day event of July 20, 1766.

Mayon Eruption History

On July 23, 1897, Mount Mayon’s longest uninterrupted eruption occurred, which rained fire down to civilization. It buried villages and killed 400 people.

On 22 June 1999, Mayon emitted a volcanic ash column that rose 7-10 km above the vent.

On July 13, 2006, Mayon’s 48th modern-era eruption occurred, followed by a quiet effusion of lava that started on July 14, 2006. After a general decline in the overall activity of Mayon, the PHILVOLCS Alert Level was lowered.

On July 10, 2009, PHIVOLCS raised the Alert Level from 1 to 2 after a low-frequency volcanic earthquake, and an ash explosion occurred on October 28, 2009, with a brown ash column rising about 600 meters above the crater.

On 17 December 2009, five ash ejections occurred, sulfur dioxide emission increased to 2,758 tonnes per day, and lava flows reached 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) below the summit.

Mayon erupted on December 29, 2009. The volcano remained restive through December, ejecting between 20 and 23 million cubic meters of volcanic material.

A lava dome appeared in the summit crater of Mayon volcano on August 12, 2014. The volcano is experiencing high unrest with magma, and a hazardous eruption is possible within weeks.

A phreatic eruption on January 13, 2018, prompted the PHIVOLCS-DOST to raise the alert level of Mayon Volcano from Alert Level 1 (abnormal) to Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest). About 40,000 residents were evacuated in the resulting evacuation.