(Eagle News) — The sulfur dioxide emission of Taal volcano is now “below instrumental detection,” but seismic earthquakes continue, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
In its latest bulletin, PHIVOLCS said the Taal Volcano Network recorded 92 volcanic earthquakes in Taal, which remains on alert level 3, in the past 24 hours.
Of these, PHIVOLCS said four of were low-frequency ones.
The Philippine Seismic Network, on the other hand, plotted three new volcanic earthquakes with no felt event since 5 a.m. on Monday to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, PHIVOLCS said.
“These earthquakes signify magmatic activity beneath the Taal edifice that could lead to eruptive activity at the Main Crater,” PHIVOLCS said.
According to PHIVOLCS, “sudden steam-driven and even weak phreatomagmatic explosions (involving both magma and water), volcanic earthquakes, ashfall, and lethal volcanic gas expulsions can still occur and threaten areas within Taal Volcano Island and nearby lakeshores,” with weak to voluminous emission of white to dirty white steam-laden plumes, 100 to 800 meters tall, observed in Taal Volcano’s main crater in the past 24 hours.
PHIVOLCS reiterated its call for the Taal Volcano Island and communities west of it within a seven-kilometer radius from the main crater to be off-limits.
It added civil aviation authorities should advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano.
