Babuyan Claro

Babuyan Claro volcano is located in the Babuyan Islands, an archipelago in the Luzon Strait and north of Luzon island in the Philippines (19°31.5'N, 121° 57'E). It is separated from Luzon by the Babuyan Channel and from the Batanes Islands up north by the Balintang Channel. It is in the political jurisdiction of the province of Cagayan in the Cagayan Valley region.

Physical Features

Babuyan Claro is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano with an elevation of 843 meters and a base diameter of 920 meters.

It has one hot spring called Askedna Hot Spring which is located at the southern basal slope of Babuyan Claro. It has a temperature range of 44.6 to 50.2°C. The water in Askedna hot spring is slightly acidic and the silica content is relatively high since the spring flows directly from lava flow deposits. The spring water can be classified as near-neutral sodium-chloride brine.

Babuyan Claro has four morphologically-fresh volcanic edifices: Mt. Cayonan in the south, Mt. Naydi and Mt. Dionisio in the southeast and Mt. Pangasun, a stratovolcano which has two very well-preserved craters 300 and 400 m in diameter.

Eruptions

Babuyan Claro has erupted four times: in 1831, 1860, 1913 and 1917. The eruptions were either strombolian, phreatomagmatic, according to the The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

In July 1993, there were reports of earthquakes and an alleged drying up of vegetation at the upper slopes and summit area of the volcano but volcanologists said the earthquakes were of tectonic origins and there was no significant change in the volcanic activity

In February 2004, there were reports of grayish steam clouds hovering above the summit but volcanologists said the seismic swarm was of tectonic origin and the steaming activity was only wispy to weak.

Babuyan Claro is one of the 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines. The others are Banahaw, Biliran, Bud Dajo, Mount Bulusan, Cagua, Camiguin de Babuyanes, Didicas, Hibok-Hibok, Iraya, Mount Iriga, Mount Kanlaon, Leonard Kniaseff, Makaturing, Matutum, Mayon, Musuan, Mount Parker (Cotabato), Pinatubo, Ragang, Smith, Taal. They are all part of the so-called "Pacific ring of fire."

External links

* [http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/Volcano/Volcanolist/babuyanclaro.htm Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Babuyan Claro Page]