The alert warning in Taal Volcano has been downgraded to Alert Level 2 on Saturday morning, April 9 as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said unrest at the volcano “has markedly declined.”
“The rise in SO2 emissions prior to the March 26 phreatomagmatic eruption and its subsequent drop indicate that accumulated volcanic gas drives this type of eruptive activity at the main crater. Recent volcanic gas emissions, therefore, suggest that the potential for eruptive activity at present is low,” Phivolcs explained.
In the past 24-hour period, the Taal Volcano Network recorded three hundred two (302) volcanic earthquakes, including one hundred eighty-four (184) episodes of volcanic tremor having durations of one (1) to twelve (12) minutes, and one hundred eighteen (118) low frequency volcanic earthquakes. Activity at the Main Crater consisted of weak emission of steam-laden plumes from fumarolic vents that rose thirty (30) meters. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission that averaged 925 tonnes/day was measured yesterday, 26 March 2021. Temperature highs of 71.8°C and pH of 1.59 were last measured from the Main Crater Lake respectively on 04 March and 12 February 2021. Ground deformation parameters from electronic tilt, continuous GPS and InSAR data analysis indicated a very slow and steady inflation and expansion of the Taal region since after the January 2020 eruption. These parameters may indicate increased magmatic activity at shallow depths beneath the edifice.
THE DURIAN POST 