Kanlaon, also known as Mount Kanlaon and Kanlaon Volcano (Hiligaynon: Bolkang Kanglaon; Cebuano: Bolkang Kanglaon; Filipino: Bulkang Kanlaon), is an active andesitic stratovolcano and the highest mountain on the island of Negros in the Philippines, as well as the highest peak in the Visayas, with an elevation of 2,465 m (8,087 ft) above sea level. Mount Kanlaon ranks as the 42nd-highest peak of an island in the world. The volcano straddles the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, approximately 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Bacolod, the capital and most populous city of Negros Occidental and the whole island. It is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines and part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Etymology The name "Kanlaon" means "[place] of Laon", a pre-colonial Visayan goddess of creation, agriculture, and justice. The name Laon itself means "the ancient one", from Visayan laon, meaning "ancient" or "old." During the late Spanish colonial period of the Philippines, the volcano was briefly renamed as Malaspina by the Spanish, after the Spanish explorer Alejandro Malaspina of the Malaspina Expedition (1789–1794).
Geography and geology Kanlaon has a peak elevation of 2,465 m (8,087 ft), although it is reported as 2,435 m (7,989 ft) in some sources, with a base diameter of 30 km (19 mi), and is dotted with pyroclastic cones and extinct craters extending to the north-northwest. It is part of the Negros volcanic belt resulting from the subduction of Sulu Sea basin lithosphere of the Sunda plate along the Negros Trench and has been an active subduction zone since the Miocene. Just below and north of the summit is the active Lugud crater. North of Lugud is a 2 by 0.8 km (1.24 by 0.50 mi) crater known as Margaja Valley, with a small, often seasonal crater lake. The volcano is estimated to have an area of 24,557.60 ha (245.5760 km2). The area of the volcano is host to two distinct geothermal systems;
a long established system which includes the Pataan thermal area, and which is characterized by neutral sodium and potassium chloride and bicarbonate containing waters an immature system, represented by Hagdan spring characterized by acid-sulfate waters. The Mambukal Hot Springs which are at the far north–east, has mixed waters from these two system types. Other hot springs on its slopes are the Bucalan hot spring to the south-west of the summit, and Bungol hot spring. Its adjacent volcanic edifices are Mount Silay and Mount Mandalagan, north of Kanlaon. La Carlota, La Castellana, Murcia, and San Carlos share the Negros Occidental side of the volcano, while Canlaon, the component city that has jurisdiction on the Negros Oriental side of the volcano, lies on its lower slope about 8.5 km (5.3 mi) ESE of the summit.
Volcanic activity The most active volcano in the Visayas, Kanlaon has erupted more than 40 times since 1819. Eruptions are typically phreatic of small-to-moderate size that produce minor ash falls around the volcano. In 1902, the eruption was classified as Strombolian, typified by the ejection of incandescent cinders, lapilli, lava bombs and gas fumes. Volcanic activity at Kanlaon is continuously monitored by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the government's bureau that monitors the volcanoes and earthquakes in the nation, although unlike Mayon and Pinatubo, the volcano has never been studied in-depth and its age is not yet accurately calculated. Kanlaon Volcano Observatory is located at the campus of La Carlota City College in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota, Negros Occidental.
1996 On August 10, 24 mountain climbers hiked the volcano when Kanlaon erupted without warning, killing British student Julian Green and Filipinos Noel Tragico and Neil Perez, who were trapped near the summit close to the crater. The local authorities rescued 17 others, including 10 Belgians, another British climber and six Filipinos while Edwin Ematong, a member of the Negros Mountaineering Club Inc. and who, along with his cousin Neil Perez, guided the British Nationals survived the eruption, having descended the volcano ahead of his group. One of the rescued Belgians, Caroline Verlinde, said she and her group were about to leave a site near the crater rim when suddenly the volcano ejected ash, stones and hot gas. She ran to a tree for cover and saw her friends being hit by falling hot tephra. She said their Filipino guide told them the smoke billowing out from the crater "was just ordinary."
2001 PHIVOLCS noted in a March 22 report that since January, earthquake clusters or occurrences had been recorded by the seismic monitoring network around the volcano. These earthquakes might have signified a reactivation of the volcanic system at depth and could be a precursor to more vigorous activity, such as ash explosions. This interpretation was based on similar earthquake clusters manifested prior to the 1996 phreatic explosion from the active summit crater of the volcano. In view of the possibility of a sudden ash ejection, PHIVOLCS recommended the immediate suspension of all treks to the summit crater until further notice.
2002 An increase in seismic activity during February to April was followed by raising alert on the volcano. An ash eruption occurred on November 28.
2003 On March 17, a gray plume was observed above Kanlaon. Small eruptions produced plumes that rose 100 meters (330 ft) above the crater of the volcano. A total of 46 minor ash ejections were recorded. After July 23, only weak emission was noted and seismic activity returned to normal.
2005 A brief phreatic ash eruption occurred on January 21, producing a 500 meters (1,600 ft) high ash plume. A fine layer of ash fell on Cabagnaan, 5.5 kilometers (3.4 mi) SW of the crater. Ash emissions began again on March 20 and caused minor ashfall in 5-kilometer (3.1 mi) W of the volcano. Until April 4, occasional ash eruptions reached 1 km above the volcano, and small ash fall was reported in La Castellana (16 kilometers (9.9 mi) SW of the crater), Upper Sag-ang, Yubo (5–6 kilometers (3.1–3.7 mi) SW), and Guintubdan (5–6 kilometers (3.1–3.7 mi) WNW). Ash eruptions stopped after May 25.
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