THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has observed increased degassing activity from Taal Volcanology in Batangas but retained the volcano’s “low-level unrest” alert status.
In an advisory, Phivolcs said the Taal’s increased degassing activity was observed starting 10:30 p.m. Saturday “in the form of visible upwelling of volcanic fluids” in the volcano’s main crater.
This, Phivolcs said, “produced voluminous steam-rich plumes that rose to 3,000 meters above Taal Volcano Island or TVI.”
“This produced significant volcanic smog or vog over Taal Caldera. Vog was reported this morning by residents of the municipalities of Balete, Laurel, and Agoncillo, Batangas,” it added.
Phivolcs said it recorded 5,831 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission on June 1, which is higher than the daily average of 3,556 tons in SO2 gas emission last month.
Alert Level 1 (low-level unrest) remains in effect at Taal Volcano. Phivolcs said this means “it is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity.”
It said Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) may be raised “should an uptrend or pronounced change in monitored parameters forewarn of renewed unrest.”
It said Alert Level 0 (normal) will be declared “should there be a return of monitoring parameters to baseline levels after a sufficient observation period.”
“At Alert Level 1, sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within TVI,” Phivolcs also said.
Phivolcs discouraged entry to the TVI, Taal’s permanent danger zone, especially in the main crater and Daang Kastila fissure areas.
“Civil aviation authorities must advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano as airborne ash and ballistic fragments from sudden explosions and wind-remobilized ash may pose hazards to aircraft,” it added.
Phivolcs urged the public to limit exposure to vog by avoiding outdoor activities, staying indoors, and closing doors and windows.
The agency said people should protect themselves from vog by covering their nose, ideally with an N95 face mask. It said people should drink plenty of water and seek medical attention if needed.
“Vog consists of fine droplets containing volcanic gas such as SO2 which is acidic and can cause irritation of the eyes, throat and respiratory tract with severities depending on the gas concentrations and durations of exposure,” said Phivolcs.
He said people with health conditions such asthma, lung disease and heart disease; the elderly; pregnant women; and children are “sensitive “ to vog.
“If belonging to the particularly sensitive group of people above, watch over yourself and seek help from a doctor or the barangay health unit if needed, especially if serious effects are experienced,” said Phivolcs.
It added, “Acid rain can be generated during periods of rainfall and volcanic gas emission over areas where the plume disperses, causing damage to crops and affecting metal roofs of houses and buildings.”
