Today, February 1, we remember the 1814 Mayon eruption.
Did you know that the 1814 eruption of Mayon is a Plinian type of eruption, the most powerful of its kind?
A Plinian eruption involves the explosive release of enormous columns of volcanic debris and hot gases into the sky. Resembling a gigantic rocket blast, Plinian eruptions can send ash and volcanic gas upwards over 45 kilometers, penetrating the stratosphere. The resulting huge volume of ash and pumice can deposit over large areas. Fast-moving, deadly pyroclastic flows are also commonly associated with Plinian eruptions.
Two hundred nine years ago, Mayon’s most destructive eruption on February 1, 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and devastated several towns around it. Volcanic ash covered the whole town of Cagsawa, and what remains as a memory of this town is the bell tower of its church, a prominent landmark in the province of Albay in Bicol.
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