Phivolcs logs 2 steam-driven eruptions in Taal Volcano

CLEAR VIEW A small cloud of steam rises from Taal Volcano, as seen from Tagaytay City on Monday. Three days later, on Thursday, a minor phreatic eruption from the main crater on Taal Volcano Island was recorded by volcanologists at 7:21 a.m. —ROBERT JAWORSKI L. ABAÑO

LUCENA CITY — Taal Volcano in Batangas province had two minor phreatic or steam-driven eruptions on Sunday, Oct. 13, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in its Monday morning bulletin.

The eruptions, locally called “pusngat,” lasted three to 13 minutes long, Phivolcs reported.

The volcano has been showing unrest since early October with almost daily phreatic events.

Last Friday, the volcano recorded another phreatic eruption that lasted two minutes. On Thursday, another steam-driven event that lasted six minutes also occurred.

Volcanic smog, or “vog,” appeared on Oct. 10 due to the eruption that prompted the suspension of school classes in at least four towns in Batangas.

However, the phreatic eruptions, according to Phivolcs, are unlikely to progress into a magmatic eruption based on the background levels of volcanic earthquake activity and the detected ground deformation.

READ: Phivolcs detects weak phreatic eruption at Taal Volcano

On Oct. 5, Phivolcs also reported that the volcano had a four-minute minor phreatomagmatic eruption.

Earlier on Oct. 2, the volcano had another phreatomagmatic eruption that lasted 11 minutes.

State volcanologists explained that 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 (sulfur dioxide) for the past three years.”

The Phivolcs warned that Alert Level 2 may be raised if Taal’s phreatomagmatic activity persists or intensifies.