Latest TAAL eruption

October 08, 2024
Two phreatic or steam-driven eruptions and eight volcanic earthquakes were recorded in  Taal Volcano  in Batangas province over the last 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Tuesday morning, Oct. 8.In its bulletin, the Phivolcs said the eruption on  Monday  only lasted from one to four minutes.

The earthquakes were accompanied by one volcanic tremor that lasted two minutes long, the state volcanologists said.
Phivolcs defines volcanic earthquakes as those “generated by magmatic processes or magma-related processes beneath or near an active volcano.”

Volcanic tremors, on the other hand, are “continuous seismic signals with regular or irregular oscillations and low frequencies (typically 0.5–5 Hz) that can last for more than a minute.” Taal Volcano has been showing signs of unrest since last week.

On Sunday, Oct. 6, the volcano logged a one-minute phreatic eruption. On Saturday, the volcano had six minor phreatic eruptions lasting from one to three minutes; a four-minute minor phreatomagmatic eruption; and nine volcanic earthquakes, including two tremors that lasted six minutes.

On Oct. 2, the volcano had another phreatomagmatic eruption that lasted 11 minutes. The phreatomagmatic event, according to Phivolcs, was “likely driven by sudden contact of water with a small branch of shallow magma that has been in place beneath the Taal main crater and that has been degassing sustained levels of SO2 (sulfur dioxide) for the past three years.”The state volcanologists define phreatic eruption as 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).”

However, the unrest is unlikely to progress into a magmatic eruption based on the background levels of volcanic earthquake activity and the detected ground deformation, Phivolcs emphasized.As of Friday, Oct. 4, 30 “minor eruptive events” had been recorded since Sept. 22, Phivolcs said. The eruptions have prompted state volcanologists to warn officials of towns and cities around Taal Lake to prepare for possible escalation of its alert level from 1 to 2. Phivolcs warned that Alert Level 2 may be raised if Taal’s phreatomagmatic activity persists or intensifies. Taal’s current Alert Level 1 status means “it is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity,”

Phivolcs said.Alert Level 2 means “probable intrusion of magma at depth, which can lead to magmatic eruption,” the agency said. With the ongoing unrest of the volcano, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Calabarzon in a memorandum on Oct. 2 reiterated that Taal Volcano Island in the middle of the lake remains a “no-human-settlement area.”The Office of Civil Defense Region IV-A is on blue alert after the phreatomagmatic eruption on Oct. 2, meaning half of the staff of government agencies involved in disaster preparation would be on standby for emergencies.

In its latest update, Phivolcs recorded the emission of 2,068 metric tons of SO2 from Taal’s main crater, which rose 900 meters above Taal Volcano Island which sits in the middle of Taal Lake. Phivolcs classified the latest spewing activity of the volcano as “moderate emission.”

Taal volcano showed minor eruption again on Saturday morning Oct. 5, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The state volcanologist said Taal volcano had another minor phreatomagmatic eruption at 11:32 a.m., lasting four minutes.

Phivolcs reported that the event produced plumes reaching 2,000 meters above the main crater before drifting southwest, with ash being reported in Agoncillo, Batangas.

The volcanology institute said it logged five phreatic events on Saturday and 30 minor eruptive events in total since September 22.
It added that the unrest is not likely to progress into a major eruption.

Phivolcs still maintained Alert Level 1, meaning a low level of volcanic unrest, but added that if phreatomagmatic activities persist or intensify, it may raise Alert Level 2.

 

By  Manila Standard
October 2, 2024, 5:51 pmThe Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Wednesday afternoon reported a minor phreatomagmatic eruption at Taal Volcano.“The event produced a short black jetted plume followed by a steam-rich plume that rose up to 2,400 meters above the Main Crater before drifting northeast based on IP camera monitors,” Phivolcs said in its advisory.

“The background levels of volcanic earthquake activity and ground deformation detected at Taal indicate that unrest is unlikely to progress into a major magmatic eruption at this time,” it noted further.Prior to Wednesday’s activity, Phivolcs said a total of 18 phreatic events have been recorded on Taal Volcano since 22 September 2024. The latest eruption lasted 11 minutes beginning at 4:21 p.m. until 4:32 p.m.The state seismic agency defines ‘phreatomagmatic’ as “very violent eruption due to explosive contact of erupting magma with water.”It is characterized by a “voluminous, slightly tall ash column (with) laterally-projected pyroclastic currents.”“The phreatomagmatic event was likely driven by sudden contact of water with a small branch of shallow magma that has been in place beneath the Taal Main Crater and that has been degassing sustained levels of SO2 for the past three years,” Phivolcs explained.Alert Level 1, indicating low level of volcanic unrest, is raised on Taal Volcano since August 20, 2024. It pertains to a slight increase in volcanic earthquake and steam/gas activity, with sporadic explosions from existing or new vents.“DOST-PHIVOLCS reminds the public that Alert Level 1 prevails over Taal Volcano, which means that it is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity.”