PHIVOLCS: PHREATIC ERUPTIONS OBSERVED AT TAAL VOLCANO

A minor phreatic eruption from Taal Volcano Island's Main Crater was captured, Alert level 1 maintained over Taal volcano (Photo courtesy of PHIVOLCS/Philippine Star)

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Wednesday that the Taal Volcano in Batangas province had a minor phreatic eruption. On the volcano island’s main crater, a minor phreatic or steam-driven eruption was produced.

According to Phivolcs, the eruption was captured  by the thermal camera of the Daang Kastila Observation Station (VTDK). It is locally called as ‘pusngat,’ the event produced a 600-meter-high eruption plume that drifted southwest. 

The state seismology bureau in its bulletin said 4,899 tons of sulfur dioxide gas were emitted from the volcano on Monday and an upwelling of hot volcanic fluids were also observed in its Main Crater Lake. 

Adding that voluminous emission of plumes up to 1,800 meters tall were monitored from Taal Volcano, which drifted to the south-southwest and southwest directions. Aside from this, “a long-term deflation of the Taal Caldera as well as a short-term inflation of the general northern and southeastern flanks of the Taal Volcano Island were also observed.”

A phreatic eruption is a “steam-driven explosion that occurs when water, beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits (for example, tephra and pyroclastic-flow deposits),” Phivolcs said.

Philvocs emphasized that the unrest is unlikely to progress into a magmatic eruption based on the background levels of volcanic earthquake activity and the detected ground deformation. 

Alert Level 1 is prevailed over the volcano where it is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity. Sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas are possible hazards on low level of volcanic unrest.

The public are advised to avoid entering the permanent danger zone of Taal Volcano Island, specifically the Main Crater, Daang Kastila fissures and areas for boating around Taal Lake.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

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