Last week, the volcanic alert level for Pagan dropped to an “unassigned current aviation code,” EMO seismic supervisor Juan T. Camacho said.
He said there is no monitoring equipment on Pagan so the only way they can learn what’s going on there is through satellite and ground observers who are usually local fishermen.
Two weeks ago, people on a boat informed EMO that Pagan was spewing out gas, Camacho said.
The ash flume was also detected by the U.S. Geological Survey’s satellite.
This, Camacho said, prompted EMO to issue a volcanic level alert and advised aircraft operators of a yellow aviation color code.
As of yesterday, Camacho said the steam had diminished.
Although no reports of eruptive activity or other unusual volcanic phenomena were received for the past week, EMO has asked the governor’s office to extend for another 30 days the declaration of emergency on Anatahan where seismicity remains at background levels with a few bursts of tremor recorded.
The initial emergency declaration is supposed to expire today.
The volcano, EMO said, has entered a “quiescent period” but gas and ash emissions mat resume again at any time with little or no warning.
The limit zone on Anatahan, Camacho said, is from 10 to 3 nautical miles around the island.
Under this condition, restriction of entry should continue until further scientific study is done, he added.
