MANILA, Philippines – “Weak” phreatic or steam-driven activity has been observed at Taal Volcano in Batangas, state volcanologists said on Tuesday evening, October 1.
There were five minor phreatic eruptions recorded between 1:10 am and 4:37 pm on Tuesday, each lasting 2 to 6 minutes.
These “produced steam-laden plumes that rose 300 to 2,100 meters” above Taal Volcano’s main crater, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in an advisory.
Since September 22, there have been 17 minor phreatic eruptions.
“Weak phreatic activity is likely driven by the continued emission of hot volcanic gases at the Taal Main Crater and could be succeeded by similar events,” Phivolcs said.
The agency noted that Taal’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions remain high, averaging 6,760 tons per day since January.
“Degassing of high concentrations of volcanic SO2 continues to pose the threat of potential long-term health impacts to communities around [the] Taal Caldera that are frequently exposed to volcanic gas,” Phivolcs said.
“Local government units are advised to continuously monitor and assess preparedness of their communities and undertake appropriate response measures to mitigate hazards that could be posed by long-term degassing and related phreatic activity.”
But fortunately, Phivolcs said the current unrest “is unlikely to progress into magmatic eruption,” given that volcanic earthquake activity and ground deformation remain at “background levels,” which means there is no spike in these two parameters.
Taal Volcano has been under Alert Level 1 or “in abnormal condition” since July 11, 2022.
Under Alert Level 1, these are possible:
- sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions
- volcanic earthquakes
- minor ashfall
- lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas
Entry into Taal Volcano Island, a permanent danger zone, should still be prohibited. – Rappler.com
