MANILA, Philippines —Nineteen phreatomagmatic bursts were recorded at Taal Volcano in Batangas on Friday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in its advisory.
These so-called “very weak” phreatomagmatic bursts were detected over Taal Volcano’s main crater coming from a vent on its northeastern side between 8:50 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to the state volcano monitoring agency.
A phreatomagmatic eruption of a volcano occrus when both magmatic gases and steam from groundwater are expelled.
Also in its advisory, Phivolcs said some of the bursts produced 200-meter-tall steam-rich plumes.
“Many of the bursts were obscured by ongoing upwelling of hot volcanic gas in the main crater lake, while all events did not generate detectable signals in the seismic and infrasound records,” it added.
Accordingly, alert Level 1 remains over the Taal Volcano, “which means that it is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity.”
Likewise, Phivolcs also warned that Alert Level 2 may be raised over the volcano when the current phreatomagmatic activity worsens or pronounced changes in monitored parameters indicate increasing unrest.
“At Alert Level 1, sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within the Taal Volcano Island,” it said.
Phivolcs strongly recommends that entry into the Taal Volcano Island – a permanent danger zone- especially in the vicinities of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure “must remain strictly prohibited.”
Local government units are also advised to continously assess previously evacuated barangays around Taal Lake for damages and road accessibilities as well as to strengthen preparedness, contingency and communication measures in case of renewed unrest.
People are also advised to observe precautions due to ground displacement across fissures, possible ashfall and minor earthquakes.
Pilots are also advised to avoid flying close to the volcano since airborne ash and ballistic fragments from sudden explosions and wind-remobilized ash may pose hazards to aircrafts.