A total of 27 volcanic earthquakes have been recorded in the Taal Volcano in the past 24 hours, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Thursday, Nov. 25.
Of these, 23 were volcanic tremor events lasting two to six minutes, three were low-frequency volcanic quakes, and a low-level background tremor that has persisted since July 27, 2021.
“Activity at the Main Crater was dominated by upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in its lake which generated plumes 900 meters tall that drifted southwest. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission averaged 1,727 tonnes/day on Nov. 24, 2021,” said Phivolcs in its latest bulletin.
The agency also disclosed that based on ground deformation parameters, the Taal Volcano Island has been inflating since August 2021, while the Taal region has continuously undergone a “very slow” extension since 2020.
Phivolcs reiterated that Alert Level 2 remains hoisted over the volcano. Under this alert level, sudden steam or gas-driven explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and expulsions of volcanic gas may threaten the areas around and within the Taal Volcano Island.
“Entry into Taal Volcano Island, Taal’s Permanent Danger Zone or PDZ, especially the vicinities of the Main Crater, the Daang Kastila fissure, and extended stays on Taal volcano must strictly be prohibited,” it added. (Charie Mae F. Abarca)