Taal Volcano unleashes fumes of smoke on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, as seen in Taysan, Batangas. (Photo by ANGELLIZZA RAMIREZ)
MANILA, Philippines — Amid public’s fear on the imminent fiery explosion of Taal Volcano, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Tuesday good things also come out of volcanic eruptions.
“Ang volcanic eruptions po ay marami namang positive aspects sa society natin in the long term,” said Ma. Antonia Bornas, chief of Phivolcs’ Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, in a press conference.
(Volcanic eruptions have many lpositive aspects in our society in the long term.)
Bornas pointed out mineral deposits and rich volcanic soil result in agricultural areas. She also cited that most of the country’s picturesque mountains are dormant volcanoes.
“Ang mga flat areas sa paligid ng bundok ay galing sa material na ibinuga ng bulkan,” she explained.
(Flat areas surrounding mountains are results of materials spewed by volcanoes.)
Aside from agriculture, Bornas said the tourism sector also benefit from the natural beauty of volcanoes. For one is the Taal Volcano in Batangas province, which is among the most famous tourist attractions in the country.
Besides changes in landscapes, bodies of water near volcanoes also get transformed after an explosive eruption, Phivolcs said.
According to Bornas, the Pansipit River, also in Batangas, used to flow into the sea and served as a riverway during the Spanish Occupation.
“Nung 1754 eruption, nabarahan po significantly ‘yung daanan ng Pansipit River,” said Bornas. “Kaya po ngayon ay napakakipot niya at tuluyan na pong naging freshwater ‘yung lawa.”
(During the 1754 eruption, the Pansipit River was blocked significantly. That is why it got narrowed and the lake became freshwater.)
According to Bornas, if Taal erupts as it did in 1754, there may be another blockage in nearby bodies of water due to the deposition of material from the volcano.
On Tuesday afternoon, Phivolcs reported that fissuring together with continuous powerful volcanic earthquakes signal the rising high volume of magma that will eventually lead to an explosive eruption.
Edited by KGA