The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) identified a superheated plume—not a crater glow—as the source of the light observed at Kanlaon Volcano’s crater, early morning on Sunday, February 2.
Speaking to Brigada News FM-Kabankalan, PHIVOLCS-DOST Science Research Specialist I Pearly Sianzon explained that intensely hot volcanic materials and gases inside the volcano generated the glow.
Unlike a true crater glow, which people can see with the naked eye, the superheated plume requires high-powered cameras with specific technical settings for detection.
Sianzon observed similar occurrences in previous months and said that the presence of a superheated plume could signal the need for closer monitoring of potential volcanic activity.
Meanwhile, Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3 as monitoring continues.
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.