MANILA: Magma in the shallow parts of Taal Volcano is the cause of elevated unrest on the island, Phivolcs said Wednesday.
Taal Volcano on Tuesday morning emitted steam-laden plumes that rose to 300 meters following the upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the main crater lake and active degassing from fumaroles on the main crater, the agency said.
The volcano remains under alert level 2, the second-lowest in a 5-step system, which warns of probable magmatic activity that may or may not lead to an eruption, state seismologists said.
“We have observed that the concentration or emission of sulfur dioxide is too big. The earthquakes are sometimes many, somes few. It means that the magma is in the shallow parts of Taal Volcano and that it is emitting gas in large quantity,” Phivolcs officer-in-charge Renato Solidum said.
The public is warned against going to the volcano island as two eruptions — a steam-driven or a magmatic eruption — could occur, he added.
The island will be the only one affected. But if magma rises, the explosion might be worse. So we’re looking out for a magmatic eruption or the release of new magma.”
“In January, the explosion began as a steam-driven one. Because it took off the lid, magma rose and the explosion was stronger,” he stressed.
The eruption had displaced more than 700,000 people in Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Metro Manila.
Damage to infrastructure and agriculture in the provinces of Batangas, Cavite and Laguna was pegged at P3.4 billion, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
