Phivolcs records 2 phreatic eruptions in Taal Volcano

Taal Volcano remains the biggest tourist draw of towns around it due to its serene and picture-perfect beauty, as shown in this photo taken from Tagaytay City, Cavite, even as it continues to belch toxic fumes and remains under alert level 1, or showing low level of unrest. MARLON MALLARI/CONTRIBUTOR

LUCENA CITY — Taal Volcano in Batangas province had two phreatic or steam-driven eruptions on Monday and Tuesday, April 29 and 30, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

In its bulletin, Phivolcs said it recorded the Tuesday event at 3:20 a.m., which lasted three minutes.

On Monday, volcano also recorded a phreatic eruption that lasted two minutes.

On April 20, it recorded four short-lived phreatic events.

READ: Phivolcs: Low chance of major Taal Volcano eruption

Phivolcs defines 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, Phivolcs emphasized that the unrest is unlikely to progress into magmatic eruption based on the background levels of volcanic earthquake activity and the detected ground deformation.

At least five volcanic earthquakes, accompanied by four volcanic tremors that lasted two to three minutes, were recorded at Taal Volcano in the past 24 hours, the Phivolcs also reported.

The latest activity at the main crater showed a “moderate emission” of 2,671 metric tons (MT) of sulfur dioxide, which rose to only 1,200 meters and drifted west.

READ: Taal Volcano logs 12 earthquakes

The toxic gas emission was lower than the 3,383 MT logged from April 25 to 28.

However, the state volcanologist still observed an “upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the Main Crater Lake” of Taal Volcano Island (TVI), locally known as “Pulo,” which sits in the middle of Taal Lake.

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.”