Why do volcanoes in the Philippines erupt so often? Kuya Kim explains

Taal Volcano alarmed everyone when it erupted over the weekend, but what really is the reason behind its sudden activity?

On Monday’s “24 Oras,” the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology officer-in-charge Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. said it’s due to a phreatomagmatic burst.

“Ito ay dulot ng interaksyon ng magma at tubig. Nadampian ng malamig na tubig ang mainit na magma kaya nagkaroon ng pagsabog,” he said.

Meanwhile, volcanoes in the Philippines erupt often because the country is located at the Pacific Ring of Fire or the Circum-Pacific Belt, which results in seismic or volcanic activity.

Seventy-five percent of the world’s volcanoes are located at the Pacific Ring of Fire while 90% of earthquakes were recorded in the area.

Taal is the second most active among 24 other volcanoes with recorded activity in the Philippines. It is also a complex one with a lot of eruption points.

PHIVOLCS is still monitoring Taal Volcano, which is under Alert Level 3. Solidum said another eruption is possible given that there was recorded activity on Sunday.—Franchesca Viernes/LDF, GMA News