Mayon Volcano

Mayon Volcano is a 2460-meter high volcano in the Philippines. It is found in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region. Its almost perfectly-shaped cone is considered by many people to be more beautiful than Mt. Fuji in Japan. A few kilometers to the south of the volcano is Legazpi City.

Mayon is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano (composite volcano). Its symmetric cone was formed through alternate pyroclastic and lava flows. Mayon is the most active volcano in the country, having erupted around 50 times for the past 400 years.

The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814. Lava flows buried the town of Cagsawa and 1,200 people perished. Only the belltower of the town church remained.

External Links

• Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Mayon Volcano Page
• NASA Earth Observatory page