By NG Seruela
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported recent activity in Taal’s main crater on Thursday (May 20).
In Phivolcs’ Taal Bulletin as of 8:00 a.m. on Friday (May 21), it was reported that the activity consisted of “upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in its lake and aseismic steaming” in the main crater that started at 11:00 p.m. on May 20.
The volcano is “presently generating a voluminous steam plume” with a height of two kilometers and is drifting southwest. It is emitting sulfur dioxide (SO2) that averaged 3,051 tonnes per day on Thursday.
The agency said the parameters indicate “persistent magmatic activity at shallow depths beneath the edifice.”
In the past 24 hours, the Taal Volcano Network logged 10 volcanic earthquakes with two low frequency volcanic earthquakes and nine volcanic tremor events. Their duration is recorded at 8 to 37 minutes.
However, there are no recorded volcanic earthquakes and infrasound from the volcano starting at 12:36 p.m. on May 20.
Alert level 2 is maintained over Taal Volcano. -jlo
