Written by Were Kelly
The Taal Volcano in the Philippines briefly roared to life on Thursday morning, generating a minor phreatomagmatic eruption that sent a dark column of steam and ash 2.8 kilometres into the sky, prompting authorities to reiterate warnings for residents and tourists to stay away from the crater.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) maintained the volcano’s alert status at Level 1, indicating “low-level unrest,” but cautioned that further explosions could occur without warning.
The event began at 06:51 local time and lasted for approximately three minutes, with the plume drifting in a north-easterly direction.
PHIVOLCS reported that the eruption was likely driven by the interaction of magma with water in the main crater lake.
Prior to the burst, the monitoring network had detected 57 volcanic earthquakes in the preceding 24 hours, a sign of rising magma or moving fluids beneath the surface. Sulphur dioxide emissions, however, remained low.
PHIVOLCS Director Teresito Bacolcol sought to reassure the public while emphasising vigilance.
“This activity is consistent with a state of unrest. Further eruptions of a similar nature are possible and may occur with little to no warning,” he stated.
Local government units in towns surrounding the volcano, such as Talisay, have been advised to prepare evacuation plans for the approximately 6,000 people living on the volcano island itself.
A tourist guide operating in the area said, “We are monitoring the situation closely. Safety is our first priority, so we are following all instructions from PHIVOLCS.”
The broader context is that Taal is one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes due to its explosive potential and its location in a densely populated area just 50 kilometres from the capital, Manila.
The volcano has a violent history, with 39 recorded historical eruptions. The most recent significant event was in January 2020, which spewed ash over a vast area, including Metro Manila, led to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands, killed over 400 people, and caused economic damages estimated in the hundreds of millions of pounds.
The constant, low-level unrest serves as a sobering reminder of the latent threat posed by the “lake within a volcano within a lake” and the critical importance of continuous monitoring and preparedness.
