Taal Volcano Ongoing Degassing Activity

June 7, 2023

2–3 minutes

Over the past 24-hour period, active degassing of the Taal Main Crater has been observed in the form of visible upwelling of volcanic fluids in the Main Crater Lake and generation of voluminous steam-rich plumes that rose 2,000 meters above Taal Volcano Island. In consequence, significant volcanic smog or vog has formed over Taal Caldera and its surrounding areas since yesterday. An average of 7,680 tonnes/day of volcanic sulfur dioxide or SO2 gas was remitted by Taal yesterday, 6 June 2023, preceded by emissions averaging a 9,391 tonnes/day on 5 June 2023. Vog can be expected to persist over the Taal region while degassing activity, weak wind movement and humid atmospheric conditions prevail.

As a reminder, 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. People who may be particularly sensitive to vog are those with health conditions such as asthma, lung disease and heart disease, the elderly, pregnant women and children. For communities that can be affected by vog, please be mindful of the following.

(1) Limit your exposure. Avoid outdoor activities, stay indoors and shut doors and windows to block out vog.
(2) Protect yourself. Cover your nose, ideally with an N95 facemask. Drink plenty of water to reduce any throat irritation or constriction. 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.

In addition, 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.

DOST-PHIVOLCS reminds the public that Alert Level 1 prevails over Taal Volcano, which means that it is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity. Should an uptrend or pronounced change in monitored parameters forewarn of renewed unrest, the Alert Level may be raised back to Alert Level 2. Conversely, should there be a return of monitoring parameters to baseline levels after a sufficient observation period, the Alert Level will be further lowered to Alert Level 0. 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. DOST-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. Local government units are advised to continuously assess previously evacuated barangays around Taal Lake for damages and road accessibilities and to strengthen preparedness, contingency and communication measures in case of renewed unrest. People are also advised to observe precautions due to ground displacement across fissures, possible ashfall and minor earthquakes. 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 aircrafts.

DOST-PHIVOLCS is closely monitoring Taal Volcano’s activity and any new significant development will be immediately communicated to all stakeholders.

DOST-PHIVOLCS