Mayon

Pyroclastic flows are hot avalanches of rock, ash, and gas that sweep down the flanks of volcanoes at high velocities. This photo shows a relatively small pyroclastic flow at Mayon volcano in the Philippines on September 23, 1984. These hot, ground-hugging flows can travel at velocities to about 100 km/hr and reach areas well beyond the flanks of a volcano. Their high temperatures make them lethal to anything in their path. Billowing ash clouds rise above the denser basal portion, which can consist of vesiculated pumice or dense lava clasts.

Type/Process: Pyroclastic Flow
Volcanic Status: Historical
Image Number: 009-046
Photographer: Chris Newhall, 1984 (U.S. Geological Survey)
Summit Elevation: 2462 meters
Latitude/Longitude: 13.257 N / 123.685 E
Timeframe: Last known eruption 1964 or later
Region: Philippines and SE Asia