MANILA, Philippines — A minor phreatic eruption over Taal Volcano in Batangas province was recorded on Thursday morning, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Captured by the Taal Volcano Observatory in Barangay Talisay, the volcanic burst occurred around 7:21 a.m. and lasted for a few minutes, the agency said.
The event produced a 2, 800 meter-high plume that drifted southwest, it added.
Alert Level 1 is currently up over the volcano, which means there is a low-level volcanic unrest, but a series of phreatic eruptions was recorded in the past weeks.
On October 2, Phivolcs said a phreatomagmatic eruption, more explosive than a phreatic eruption, took place and lasted for 11 minutes.
Asked about the possibility of a bigger and more explosive eruption, in the coming days or weeks, Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said there was still a slim chance.
He told The Manila Times that even raising the alert status was based on its parameters, including sulphur dioxide (SO2) gas emission and volcanic earthquakes, among others.
“So far, we don’t see it yet (in reference to a bigger eruption over Taal). In particular, its volcanic earthquakes were still at the background level,” Bacolcol said.
A phreatomagmatic eruption occurs when magma interacts with water, causing explosive events that produce a mix of steam, ash, and fragmented volcanic materials, the Phivolcs chief said.
On one hand, Bacolcol said phreatic eruption happens when water comes into contact with hot volcanic materials (either rocks or gases), producing steam, ash and sometimes fragmented volcanic materials.
“Phreatomagmatic eruptions tend to be more powerful since there is already direct contact with magma,” he said.
He reminded the public anew to stay away from the volcano’s permanent danger zone.
