221 volcanic quakes recorded in Taal Volcano in past 24 hours

A total of 221 volcanic earthquakes were recorded to have occurred in Taal Volcano in the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said on Tuesday.

Of this number, 29 were of low frequency while 192 volcanic tremor events lasted anywhere from one to 135 minutes.

PHIVOLCS said low-level background tremor has been observed since April 8.

Meanwhile, at the volcano’s main crater lake, there was an upwelling of hot volcanic fluids which resulted in plumes reaching 1,500 meters tall. The plumes drifted to the southwest.

On June 14, the volcano’s sulfur dioxide emission averaged 5,837 tonnes/day.

PHIVOLCS said Taal Volcano Island has been deflating since April 2021 based on ground deformation parameters from electronic tilt, and their monitoring via GPS and InSAR.

The Taal region on the other hand “continues to undergo very slow extension since 2020,” PHIVOLCS said.

“These parameters indicate overall that magmatic unrest continues to occur at shallow depths beneath the edifice,” it added.

Alert Level 2 (Increased Unrest) continues to be hoisted over Taal Volcano on Tuesday.

With this, the volcano may have sudden steam- or gas-driven explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas which may threaten the areas within and around Taal Volcano Island, according to PHIVOLCS.

PHIVOLCS reiterated its prior announcement that Taal Volcano Island, Taal’s Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), especially the vicinities of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure should be off limits.

It also strongly recommended against boating on Taal Lake.

PHIVOLCS also advised local government officials to assess and strengthen their preparedness in case the volcano shows renewed unrest.

Pilots should also avoid flying close to Taal Volcano as airborne ash, ballistic fragments from sudden explosions and wind-remobilized ash may be hazardous to aircraft, it added. —KG, GMA News