Taal Volcano in state of ‘elevated unrest’ with record high quakes, gas emissions

TAAL volcano has been in a state of elevated unrest the past two days as it recorded its highest number of earthquakes at 355 and emitted sulfur dioxide equivalent to 3, 463 tons in the last 24 hours, state volcanologists said on Wednesday.

Renato Solidum, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), told The Manila Times that Alert Level 2, which means increased unrest, is currently up over Taal Volcano.

“But elevated unrest has recurred in the past 48 hours and volcano conditions remain unstable,” he said.

The Phivolcs chief said there is elevated unrest if some monitored parameters like volcano seismicity or earthquakes and gas emission are showing high values.

“If trend persists, the activity may lead to a magmatic eruption,” Solidum warned.

In the past 24 hours, the Taal Volcano Network (TVN) recorded 355 volcanic earthquakes, of which 201 were low frequency, and 154 tremors with durations ranging from two to 35 minutes.

Some 3, 463 tons of sulfur dioxide were also emitted by the volcano, Phivolcs said.

At Alert Level 2, “sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ash fall and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within and around the Taal Volcano Island (TVI)”, Phivolcs said.

As a result, Phivolcs said entry into TVI’s permanent danger zone, especially the vicinities of its main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure, as well as occupancy and boating on Taal Lake, are strictly prohibited.

“Local government units are advised to continuously assess and strengthen the preparedness of previously evacuated barangay (villages) around Taal Lake in case of renewed unrest,” it said.

Civil aviation authorities must advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano as airborne ash and ballistic fragments from sudden explosions and wind-remobilized ash may pose hazards to aircraft.

Solidum had said another “big one” was possible after its last eruption in January last year.

Taal has been known to erupt annually as it did in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1970, he said.