MANILA – The head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Tuesday said there were no volcanic quakes recorded in Taal Volcano for the past 12 days, indicating a “good” sign.
“Not even one volcanic earthquake was recorded since August 8. This is a good sign because the presence of volcanic quakes indicate that magma goes up,” Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said in the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon aired over PTV-4.
Volcanic earthquakes are among the signs that magma is moving upward since the rocks are breaking as magma ascends.
“When magma rises, it gets closer to the summit, which means an eruption may be imminent,” he told the Philippine News Agency.
Degassing of the Taal Volcano temporarily stopped at around 11 a.m. Tuesday but noted that emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) is continuous since 2020, Bacolcol said.
Volcanic smog (vog) may form for as long as Taal Volcano is fuming out SO2, he said, noting that several towns in Batangas reported a presence of vog on Tuesday.
These include Laurel, San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Talisay, Balete, Lemery, Cuenca, Malvar, Lipa City, Taal, Lian and Nasugbu.
Bacolcol said SO2 emission is just one of the parameters that Phivolcs is monitoring to see whether an eruption is imminent.
“It is normal for volcanoes to release SO2. This gas comes from magma moving up through the volcano, so it’s a common part of volcanic activity,” he said.
The public should not be complacent even when there is no threat of an eruption, he said. (PNA)