The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported a phreatomagmatic eruption at Taal Volcano on Wednesday at 4:21 PM. This stronger eruption is capable of ejecting large volumes of volcanic materials.
Phivolcs is currently gathering more details about the eruption. Prior to this, five phreatic eruptions were recorded within the past 24 hours.
Taal Volcano’s steam plume reached a height of 2,100 meters and drifted towards the northeast and east-northeast directions. The volcano also experienced six volcanic tremors lasting from 2 to 10 minutes.
Additionally, the Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) flux was measured at 1,354 tons per day, with upwelling hot volcanic fluids observed at the Main Crater Lake—an indication of ongoing volcanic activity.
Ground deformation was also detected in the Taal Caldera, particularly in the northern and southeastern portions of Taal Volcano Island.
Despite the activity, the volcano remains under Alert Level 1. Phivolcs warns that further volcanic activity could occur.
A phreatomagmatic eruption occurs when magma (molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface) interacts explosively with water.
This type of volcanic eruption is driven by the violent expansion of steam as magma comes into contact with ground or surface water, such as a lake or seawater.
The intense heat from the magma causes the water to instantly vaporize, resulting in a powerful explosion.
This eruption is typically characterized by a mixture of volcanic ash, steam, and fragments of volcanic rock.
It is more forceful than phreatic eruptions, which involve only steam and do not directly involve magma.
Phreatomagmatic eruptions often produce large ash clouds, and the explosive interaction between water and magma can pose significant hazards, such as ashfall, pyroclastic flows, and base surges (violent lateral blasts of hot gas and volcanic debris).