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Source-This post on Mount Kanlaon has been created based on the article “Hundreds in emergency shelters after volcano erupts in Philippines” published in “Indian Express” on 6 June 2024.
Why in News?
Recently, Mount Kanlaon on Negros island exploded sending a plume of ash, rocks and gases five kilometres.
Mount Kanlaon
| About | Description |
| About | 1. Mount Kanlaon is a stratovolcano located in the north-central part of Negros Island in the Philippines. 2. It is the highest mountain on Negros Island and the 42nd tallest peak on an island worldwide. 3. Kanlaon is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines and is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. 4. The volcano has several pyroclastic cones and craters. |
| Geological Features | 1. The summit of Kanlaon features a broad, elongated caldera with a crater lake, and a smaller, more active crater to the south. 2. It is made up of tropical volcanic materials, including sheeted lava flows, lahar deposits, airfall tephra, and apron pyroclastic materials. 3. Mount Kanlaon is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. 4. The slopes of Kanlaon serve as headwater catchments for major river systems on Negros Island. |
| Eruptions | 1. Kanlaon has erupted several times since 1886. 2. These eruptions typically involve phreatic explosions of small to moderate size, producing minor ashfalls near the volcano. |
About Phreatic Eruption
1. A phreatic eruption is a steam-driven explosion that occurs when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by volcanic activity.
2. Process: The heated water begins to boil or can even flash into steam, causing an explosion. Phreatic eruptions can occur before, during, or after a more traditional volcanic eruption.
3. Causes: Groundwater near volcanic vents gets heated as magma rises to the surface, leading to these phreatic eruptions.
UPSC Syllabus: World Geography
