Phivolcs logs 1 phreatic eruption in Taal Volcano

FILE PHOTO: Taal Volcano as seen from Laurel Batangas. INQUIRER FILES

LUCENA CITY — Taal Volcano in Batangas province had one phreatic or steam-driven eruption on Thursday, Aug. 1, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The eruption lasted five minutes, Phivolcs said in its morning bulletin on Friday.

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 defines.

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.

At least two volcanic earthquakes were recorded at Taal Volcano in the past 24 hours, Phivolcs also reported.

The latest activity at the main crater showed a “voluminous emission” of 1,709 metric tons (MT) of sulfur dioxide, which rose to 1,500 meters and drifted southeast and southwest.

Taal Volcano is still under alert level 1 (low level of volcanic unrest), Phivolcs said.

The agency reminded the public that Taal Volcano remained in an “abnormal condition” and “should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity.” INQ