MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has announced the Taal Volcano bulletin including the alert level status on July 7, 2021.
From Alert Level 2, it was raised to Alert Level 3 since July 1, 2021. Here is the summary of the 24-hour monitoring of Tall Volcano as of 5PM, July 7, 2021.
- Alert Level: 3
- Status Alert Level: High Activity
- Volcanic Earthquake: fifty-five (55) volcanic earthquakes, including one (1) explosion-type earthquake, forty-four (44) low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, five (5) volcanic tremor lasting two (2) to five (5) minutes, five (5) hybrid earthquakes and low-level background tremor
- Sulfur Dioxide Flux (SO2): Main Crater erupted high-level volcanic sulfur dioxide gas
- pH: 1.59 (February 12, 2021)
- Temperature: 71.8 (March 04, 2021)
- Plume (Steaming): Steam-rich plumes with an altitude of one thousand and five hundred (1,500) meters before being cast to the southwest.
- Ground Deformation: Measurement of the ground deformation of the volcano using electronic tilt, continuous GPS and InSAR monitoring recorded a slow deflation of the Taal Volcano Island
The continuous upwelling of hot gases into the Main Crater of Taal Volcano was also observed.
There was a phreatomagmatic eruption in the Main Crater as early as 5:18 AM that created a small gray plume that rose 300 meters before landing in the southeast.
Civil aviation officials should urge pilots to avoid flying near the vicinity of Taal volcano because of flying ash, rock, and pyroclastic density currents.
Evacuation Plans
Due to phreatomagmatic bursts of Taal Volcano that resulted in spewing ash, upwelling of hot gases, and other materials around in one kilometer high, PhiVolcs raised Alert level 3 over the area of Batangas.
Philvocs likewise announces that the Taal Volcano Island, Taal Lake and high-risk barangays in the town of Agoncillo such as Barangay Banyaga, Bilibinwang, and in the town of Laurel such as Gulod, Buso-buso, Lakeshore Bugaan East in Batangas must be restricted.
All activities within Taal Lake should be banned for now. Residents around Taal Lake are advised to be prepared for possible evacuation in case Taal activity deteriorates. Ashfall and vogs are also possible.
To quote from the recent official reminder from PhiVolcs,
The public is reminded that the entire Taal Volcano Island is a Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), and entry into the island as well as into the high-risk barangays of Agoncillo and Laurel must be prohibited due to the hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should strong eruptions occur.
Communities around the Taal Lake shores are advised to remain vigilant, take precautionary measures against possible airborne ash and vog and calmly prepare for possible evacuation should unrest intensify.
Taal Volcano Alert Level Classifications
Here is the list of the alert level classifications from PAG-ASA:
| Alert Level | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | Quiet or no alert |
| 1 | Low level of volcanic unrest |
| 2 | Moderate level of volcanic unrest |
| 3 | Magmatic unrest/ high level of volcanic unrest |
| 4 | Hazardous eruption imminent |
| 5 | Hazardous eruption in progress |
Contact PhiVolcs
Should you have concerns related to Taal Volcano, you may also reach the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) at the following contact details:
Telephone Number: Trunkline: +632 426-1468
Facebook: @PHIVOLCS
Twitter: @Philvolcs_dost
Questions?
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