LUCENA CITY — Taal Volcano in Batangas province recorded 11 volcanic earthquakes over the past 24 hours, according to a report by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Wednesday morning, December 25.
On Tuesday, the volcano also experienced seven volcanic tremors lasting three to five minutes, Phivolcs noted in its bulletin.
This pattern of earthquakes and tremors has persisted in recent days. On Monday, December 23, six tremors were detected, lasting between five and eight minutes. The day prior, four volcanic earthquakes accompanied by three tremors of three to five minutes were observed.
On Saturday, six earthquakes and five tremors, each lasting three to six minutes, were recorded. Meanwhile, on Friday, three tremors were logged with durations ranging from three to 39 minutes.
Phivolcs defines volcanic earthquakes as those originating from active volcanoes, identified by specific characteristics such as “mode of arrivals, periods, amplitudes, etc.” Volcanic tremors, on the other hand, are described as “continuous seismic signals with regular or irregular sine wave appearances and low frequencies.”
In a separate development, Taal Volcano’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions have significantly decreased after reaching alarmingly high levels the previous week. On Monday and Tuesday, emissions were measured at 1,181 metric tons (MT), a sharp drop from the 8,322 MT recorded from December 16 to 23.
For 2024, Taal’s average SO2 emission is approximately 6,057 tonnes per day, with substantial degassing since 2021. Phivolcs warned that prolonged exposure to high levels of volcanic SO2 poses potential long-term health risks to nearby communities around Taal Caldera.
During the latest observation period, no upwelling of hot volcanic fluids was observed in the Main Crater Lake, also known as Pulo, located at the center of Taal Lake. Additionally, no instances of volcanic smog (“vog”) were reported.
Taal Volcano remains under alert level 1, indicating a low level of volcanic unrest, according to Phivolcs.
