Mayon
Luzon
Volcano types:
Stratovolcano
Summit Elev: 2462 m
Latitude: 13.257°N
Longitude: 123.685°E
Beautifully symmetrical Mayon
volcano, which rises to 2462 m
above the Albay Gulf, is the
Philippines' most active volcano.
The structurally simple volcano
has steep upper slopes averaging 35-40 degrees that are capped by a small summit crater. The
historical eruptions of this basaltic-andesitic volcano date back to 1616 and range from
strombolian to basaltic plinian, with cyclical activity beginning with basaltic eruptions, followed
by longer term andesitic lava flows. Eruptions occur predominately from the central conduit and
have also produced lava flows that travel far down the flanks. Pyroclastic flows and mudflows
have commonly swept down many of the approximately 40 ravines that radiate from the
summit and have often devastated populated lowland areas. Mayon's most violent eruption, in
1814, killed more than 1200 people and devastated several towns.
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Taal
Luzon
Volcano types:
Stratovolcano
Caldera
Pyroclastic cones
Summit Elev: 400 m
Latitude: 14.002°N
Longitude: 120.993°E
Taal volcano is one of the most
active volcanoes in the Philippines
and has produced some of its
most powerful historical eruptions.
In contrast to Mayon volcano, Taal is not topographically prominent, but its prehistorical
eruptions have greatly changed the topography of SW Luzon. The 15 x 20 km Taal caldera is
largely filled by Lake Taal, whose 267 sq km surface lies 700 m below the south caldera rim and
only 3 m above sea level. The maximum depth of the lake is 160 m, and several eruptive
centers lie submerged beneath the lake. The 5-km-wide Volcano Island in north-central Lake
Taal is the location of all historical eruptions. The island is a complex volcano composed of
coalescing small stratovolcanoes, tuff rings, and scoria cones that has grown about 25% in area
during historical time. Powerful pyroclastic flows and surges from historical eruptions of Taal
have caused many fatalities.
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Banáhao
Luzon
Volcano types:
Complex volcano
Stratovolcanoes
Lava domes
Summit Elev: 2158 m
Latitude: 14.07°N
Longitude: 121.48°E
The 2158-m-high Banáhao (also
known as Banahaw) is the highest
of a group of volcanoes south and
east of Manila. Banáhao is flanked
by San Cristobal volcano on the west and Banáhao de Lucban on the NE. Andesitic-to-dacitic
lava domes occur on the flanks of Banáhao and San Cristobal. Two major Holocene debris
avalanches have occurred at Banáhao volcano. The deposit from one extends 13 km to the NE
and the other 26 km to the SE, where it forms 10 km of the coastline of Tayabas Bay. San
Cristobal stratovolcano rises to 1480 m, 7 km west of Banáhao. Its youthful morphology
suggests that it postdates Banahao. Banáhao de Lucban is a 1875-m-high stratovolcano that
was constructed within the 8-km-wide, horseshoe-shaped caldera related to the two debris
avalanches, and is the youngest volcano of the Banáhao complex. The 2-km-wide, 600-m-deep
summit crater of Banáhao is open to the SSW and contained a crater lake until 1730, when it
drained, forming mudflows. Mudflows were also recorded in 1743?, 1843 and 1909, possibly
also associated with explosive activity.
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Pinatubo
Luzon
Volcano types:
Stratovolcano
Caldera
Lava domes
Summit Elev: 1486 m
Latitude: 15.13°N
Longitude: 120.35°E
Prior to 1991 Pinatubo volcano
was a relatively unknown, heavily
forested lava dome complex
located 100 km NW of Manila with
no records of historical eruptions.
The 1991 eruption, one of the world's largest of the 20th century, ejected massive amounts of
tephra and produced voluminous pyroclastic flows, forming a small, 2.5-km-wide summit
caldera whose floor is now covered by a lake. Caldera formation lowered the height of the
summit from 1745 to 1486 m. Although the eruption caused hundreds of fatalities and major
damage with severe social and economic impact, successful monitoring efforts greatly reduced
the number of fatalities. Widespread lahars that redistributed products of the 1991 eruption
have continued to cause severe disruption. At least six major eruptive periods, interrupted by
lengthy quiescent periods, have occurred from modern Pinatubo volcano during the past 35,000
years. Most of these have produced major pyroclastic flows and lahars that were even more
extensive than in 1991.
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Bulusan
Luzon
Volcano types:
Stratovolcanoes
Caldera
Lava domes
Summit Elev: 1565 m
Latitude: 12.770°N
Longitude: 124.05°E
Luzon's southernmost volcano,
Bulusan, was constructed along
the rim of the 11-km-diameter
dacitic-to-rhyolitic Irosin caldera,
which was formed about 35,000-40,000 years ago. Bulusan lies at the SE end of the Bicol
volcanic arc occupying the peninsula of the same name that forms the elongated SE tip of
Luzon. A broad, flat moat is located below the topographically prominent SW rim of Irosin
caldera; the NE rim is buried by the andesitic Bulusan complex. Bulusan is flanked by several
other large intracaldera lava domes and cones, including the prominent Mount Jormajan lava
dome on the SW flank and Sharp Peak to the NE. The summit of 1565-m-high Bulusan volcano
is unvegetated and contains a 300-m-wide, 50-m-deep crater. Three small craters are located
on the SE flank. Many moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded at Bulusan since the
mid-19th century.
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Canlaon
Central Philippine
Volcano types:
Stratovolcano
Caldera
Pyroclastic cones
Summit Elev: 2435 m
Latitude: 10.412°N
Longitude: 123.132°E
Canlaon volcano (also spelled
Kanlaon), the most active of the
central Philippines, forms the
highest point on the island of
Negros. The massive 2435-m-high stratovolcano is dotted with fissure-controlled pyroclastic
cones and craters, many of which are filled by lakes. The summit of Canlaon contains a broad
elongated northern caldera with a crater lake and a smaller, but higher, historically active crater
to the south. The largest debris avalanche known in the Philippines traveled 33 km to the SW
from Canlaon. Historical eruptions, recorded since 1866, have typically consisted of phreatic
explosions of small-to-moderate size that produce minor ashfalls near the volcano.
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Biliran
Central Philippine
Volcano types:
Compound volcano
Lava domes
Summit Elev: 1301 m
Latitude: 11.523°N
Longitude: 124.535°E
The volcanic island of Biliran,
located across the narrow Biliran
Strait from the northern tip of
Leyte Island, contains many
prominent andesitic lava domes,
the highest of which is 1301 m Surio. Fumarole fields are scattered throughout the 20 x 35 km
wide island. The only known historical activity at Biliran was a phreatic explosive eruption and
possible debris avalanche at a thermal area in 1939.
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Apo
Mindanao
Volcano types:
Stratovolcano
Summit Elev: 2954 m
Latitude: 7.008°N
Longitude: 125.27°E
Apo volcano is the highest peak in
the Philippines, but its geologic
history is poorly known. Apo,
which
means
master,
or
grandfather, rises to 2954 m SW
of the coastal city of Davao and
has a flat-topped summit with
three peaks. The SW peak of the
andesitic volcano is the highest
and is capped by a 500-m-wide crater containing a small lake. The youngest crater is on the
northern peak. A line of solfataras rises from a fissure on the SE side that extends from 2400 m
to the summit. Apo is one of several volcanoes to which the major 1641 eruption from Parker
volcano was incorrectly attributed to, but no historical eruptions are known from Apo.
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Paco
Mindanao
Volcano types:
Stratovolcano
Calderas
Lava domes
Summit Elev: 524 m
Latitude: 9.593°N
Longitude: 125.520°E
Located at the NE tip of Mindanao,
Paco (also known as Manlayao) is
truncated by two nested calderas,
2.5 and 5 km in diameter. The
basaltic-andesite volcano is located
east of the N-S-trending Philippine
Fault that cuts across eastern
Mindanao. Legends record a major caldera collapse eruption (Wolfe 1982, pers. comm.). The
age of the last eruption is not known, although the volcano currently displays fumarolic activity.
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Jolo
Sulu Islands
Volcano types:
Pyroclastic cones
Summit Elev: 811 m
Latitude: 6.013°N
Longitude: 121.057°E
Numerous pyroclastic cones and
craters dot 60-km-wide Jolo Island
at the SW end of the Philippines
archipelago. Jolo lies in the Sulu
archipelago, about 150 km SW of
the tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula
on SW Mindanao Island. The
isolated location of Jolo and political
unrest have inhibited geological
studies of the volcanic island. Youthful-looking Tumatangus volcano forms the 811 m high point
of the island. Bud Dajo (or Buddajo) is a young basaltic cinder cone that reaches 620 m
elevation; nearby cones are Matanding, Guimba, and Sungal. Hot springs have been reported at
craters on Cagayan Sulu, and solfataras at Siit Lake. A tsunami accompanied a possible
submarine eruption in 1897. A reported eruption in 1641 actually reflected ashfall from an
eruption of Parker volcano on Mindanao.
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