 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oblate, 20-km-long Camiguin Island just off the coast of north-central Mindanao Island consists of four overlapping stratovolcanoes overlying older buried edifices. Mt. Mambajao forms the high point of Camiguin Island at 1552 m. It has a youthful morphology with summit and flank lava domes, one of which partially fills a crater breached to the NW, but has not had historical eruptions. The eroded stratovolcanoes of Mt. Butay and Mt. Ginsiliban form the SE tip of the island and lie at one end of the NNW-SSE trending line of vents cutting across the island. The Binone cinder cone lies along the SE coast. The youngest volcano, and the only historically active one, is Hibok-Hibok (also known as Catarman). It lies at the NW end of the island, about 6 km NW of Mt. Mambajao. This andesitic-to-rhyolitic volcano contains several lava domes, including Mt. Vulcan on its NW flank. Major eruptions during 1871-75 and 1948-53 formed flank lava domes at Hibok-Hibok and produced pyroclastic flows that devastated coastal villages.
Volcanologists classify Hibok-Hibok as a stratovolcano[1] and dome complex[2] with an elevation of 1,332 meters and a base diameter of 1,000 meters.
It has six hot springs (Ardent Spring, Tangob, Bugong, Tagdo, Naasag and Kiyab), three crater lakes (Kanangkaan Crater, site of the 1948 eruption; Itum Crater, site of 1949 eruption, and Ilihan Crater, site of 1950 eruption).
Its adjacent volcanic edifices are Mt. Vulcan ( 671 m high asl, NW of Hibok-Hibok ), Mt. Mambajao (center of Camiguin), Mt. Ginsiliban (581 m high asl, southernmost Camiguin), Mt. Uhay (N of Mount Ginsiliban). There are also domes and cones at Campana Hill, Minokol Hill, Tres Marias Hill, Mt. Carling, Mt. Tibane, and Piyakong Hill.
Eruptions
Hibok-Hibok erupted five times in modern history. The first recorded eruption occurred in 1827. This was followed by similar activity in 1862.
In January 1871, residents of the island reported earthquakes and subterranean rumbling. There were next landslides, fissuring of land and a swarm of earthquakes. In April, the volcano spewed rocks, dust, and ashes for a week and a which would later be named Mt. Vulcan began to form. The lava dome reached a height of 457 meters with a base of almost 1,500 meters after four years. Vulcan's activity has been limited to emission of steam from crevices at the top of the dome.
In 1897, Hibok-Hibok emitted white sulfurous vapors which damaged farms on the island. Solfataric activity continued up to 1902.
From 1948 to 1951, Mt. Hibok-Hibok constantly rumbled and smoked. Its minor eruption in 1948 caused little damage and loss of life. In 1949, its eruption caused 79 deaths due to landslides. In the morning of December 4, 1951, the volcano erupted again. This, time, however, it unleashed boiling lava, poisonous gases, and landslides enough to destroy nearly 19 squares kilometers of land particularly in Mambajao. All in all, over 3,000 people were killed. Before the eruption of Mt. Hibok-Hibok in 1951, the population of Camiguin had reach 69,000. After the eruption, the population was reduced to about 34,000 due to massive emigration.
Hibok-Hibok had a Peléan eruption in August 1948, with a series of earth tremors. There were also landslides and earthquakes followed by dome building and nuee ardente in September 1953. Eruption sites during the 1948-1952 eruptions were Kanangkaan Crater (1948), Itum Crater (1949) and Ilihan Crater (1950).
Volcanologists observed an eruption pattern observed during the 1948-1952 eruptions (a cycle of four phases) beginning with a short period of emission of steam from the crater and avalanches of volcanic materials, followed by explosions or steam blast with emission of heavy clouds of steam, ash and other fragmentary volcanic materials with a strong possibility of the development of nuee ardente. The third phase involves eruption of incandescent meterials, emission of ash and steam in large amounts, formation of flows and occasional minor crater outbursts and finally a decrease in steam and other ejecta from the crater.
Hiking activity
Mt. Hibok-Hibok is a popular hiking destination in Camiguin island. A permit from the DENR office in Mambajao is required. It normally takes 3–5 hours to reach the summit; the usual jump-off is Ardent Hot Springs in Mambajao. Views from the summit include the nearby White Island; Bohol (N); Eastern Mindanao (E); and Siquijor (W). The mossy crater of Camiguin's past eruption can also be seen. Mark Wallace of Newburgh, NY states that the permit is more of a use charge and the hike is not difficult. He recommends that it be climbed with a group because there are no telephones on the trail and there is the possibility of spraining an ankle or otherwise having a mishap requiring assistance. He climbed it in less than an hour at age 59. On the trail are the Roman Catholic Stations of the Cross, which are 14 events in the crucifixion of Jesus at intervals on the climb. They are a memorial to the dead from the last eruption in the 1950s.
Coordinates: 9°12′2″N 124°40′5″E
