Philippines’ second most active volcano spews steam-laden plumes

The Philippines’ second most active volcano on Monday spewed steam-laden plumes reaching one kilometre high following days of volcanic earthquakes, the government’s volcanology institute said.

The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) says it has monitored hundreds of quakes since last week at Taal Volcano in Batangas province, 66 kilometres south of Manila.

“Low-level background tremors” have also persisted since April 8, the institute said in its bulletin.

On Monday, an “upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the volcano lake generated plumes that reached one kilometre tall, while sulphur dioxide emissions remained high amid steady ground deformation,’’ the bulletin added.

“These parameters indicate its resistant magmatic activity at shallow depths beneath the edifice,” Phivolcs said, adding that alert level two remained at Taal.

“Sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within and around (the volcano island),” it added.

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Taal last erupted on Jan. 12, 2020, forcing more than 376,000 people to flee their homes in surrounding towns. It has erupted 33 times since 1572.

Thirty-nine people died due to illness while in evacuation centres and accidents caused by thick ashfall, according to the provincial government.

The authorities did not specify how many of those deaths were directly related to the volcano’s eruption.

It is a popular tourist destination for its picturesque crater lake.

Taal also has the distinction of being the only volcano in the world within a lake on an island.