MANILA, Philippines — State volcanologists reported Monday it has not detected volcanic earthquakes in Taal Volcano in the past 24 hours.
“Activity at the main crater was dominated by upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in its lake which generated plumes 1,000 meters tall that drifted southwest,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in a bulletin.
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The volcano emitted an average of 1,140 tons of sulfur dioxide on Sunday, it added.
Alert Level 3—which means there is “magmatic unrest”—is still in effect.
“This means that there is a magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions,” Phivolcs said.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 1,060 families or 3,850 people in Batangas province have been affected by the volcanic activity.
The evacuation of individuals from Taal Volcano Island and high-risk barangays of Bilibinwang and Banyaga in Agoncillo, and Boso-boso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East in Laurel is recommended due to the possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should stronger eruptions happen.
Phivolcs raised the alert level on Saturday following a continuous phreatomagmatic activity that generated 1,500-meter high plumes. Phreatomagmatic activity means that magma and water are explosively interacting to generate gases and steam. — Gaea Katreena Cabico