Phivolcs lowers Taal alert level to one

March 19, 2020

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Thursday lowered the status of Taal Volcano to Alert Level One, two months after a phreatic eruption spewed ash that reached as far as southern Metro Manila.

According a bulletin by Phivolcs on Thursday, the "alert level one means that the volcano is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted that unrest has ceased or that the threat of an erruption has disappeared."

Phivolcs said the volcano's condition since its status was downgraded to alert level two on Feb. 14 2020, "has been characterized by low level volcanic earthquake activity, stabilizing ground formation of the Taal Caldera and the Daang Kastila fissure."

"Taal Volcano network recorded a decline in the daily average of volcanic eathquake from  events/day between Jan 26 and Feb 14 to 31 events/day between Feb 14 and today," it stated.

"Continuous global positioning system (GPS) monitoring from Feb. 14 to 16 March recorded very slow and slight uplift of the northern sector of Taal Caldera but continuing subsidence of the southern sector of the caldera and southern TVI (Taal Volcano Island)," it added.

Phivolcs said "should an uptrend or pronounced change in the monitored parameters forewarm of renewed, the alert level may be raised back to alert level two."

It also reminded the public that under "Alert Level 1, sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquake, minor ashfall and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within Taal Volcano Island."

"Phivolcs strongly recommends that entry into TVI, Taal's permanent danger zone or PDZ especially the vicinities of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure must remain strictly prohibited," the bulletin stated. Robina Asido/DMS