Taal Volcano back to spewing high-volume of toxic gas

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/MARLON MALLARI

LUCENA CITY, Philippines  – After spewing lower volumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the past five days, Taal Volcano in Batangas province again emitted a high level of toxic gas on Saturday, March 23.

A total of 14,287 metric tons (MT) of SO2 from Taal’s main crater was measured over the past 24 hours and rose to 1,200 meters tall before drifting southwest, Phivolcs said in its bulletin on Sunday, March 24.

State volcanologists again observed an “upwelling of hot volcanic fluids” in the main crater lake of the volcano on Taal Volcano Island, locally known as the “Pulo,” which sits in the middle of Taal Lake.

READ: Phivolcs logs increased sulfur dioxide emission on Taal Volcano

From March 18 to 22, the volcano emitted only 6,102 MT, the Phivolcs reported. It was a drop from the 10,561 MT of the toxic gas logged on March 16 and 17. On March 14 and 15, the SO2 level was listed at 13,991 MT.

On March 13, the volcano released 4,532 MT, its lowest volume of sulfur dioxide emission this year, the Phivolcs reported.

READ: Taal Volcano spews high volume of toxic gas anew

On Jan. 25 to 28, the volcano released 15,145 MT of toxic volcanic gas, the highest so far this year.

Last year, the volcano logged 11,499 MT on Nov. 9, the highest emission level recorded in 2023.

Taal Volcano remained under alert level 1 (low level of volcanic unrest), according to the state volcanologist. Phivolcs reminded the public that Taal Volcano continued to display an “abnormal condition” and “should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity.”