5 Taal quakes monitored

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) yesterday said it monitored five volcanic earthquakes at the Taal volcano.

In a statement, Phivolcs said that the number of earthquakes at the Taal volcano went down from eight last Friday to five quakes yesterday. 

However, the western sector inside the Main Crater Lake showed that the water temperature went up from 30.1 degrees Celsius last April 19 to 31.8 degrees Celsius on April 26.

Result of the ground deformation survey (precise leveling) conducted around Taal last April 5 showed that the volcano’s edifice is slightly inflated compared to last February.

Phivolcs said that Taal volcano remained at Alert level 2, which means that magma has been intruding towards the surface, as manifested by carbon dioxide being released in the main crater lake and sustained seismic activity. 

Phivolcs continued to advise the public that the main crater, Daang Kastila Trail and Mt. Tabaro are strictly off-limits because sudden hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur and high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate. 

It further cautioned that breathing air with high concentration of gases could be lethal to human, animals and even cause damage to vegetation.

In addition, it reminded that the entire Taal volcano is a Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), and permanent settlement in the island is strictly not recommended.