Philippines’ Taal volcano could erupt ‘anytime soon’

<p>
Authorities in the Philippines have warned that the Taal volcano, south of Manila, could erupt "anytime soon" after recording the highest levels of sulfur dioxide gas emission.</p>
<p>
"The highest levels of volcanic sulfur dioxide gas emission were recorded today at an average of 22,628 tonnes a day, the highest ever recorded in Taal volcano," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in an update on Sunday.</p>
<p>
The Institute said the "current sulfur dioxide parameters indicate ongoing magma extrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding explosions".</p>
<p>
The institute said it has recorded "a total of 26 strong and very shallow low-frequency volcanic earthquakes associated with magma degassing beneath the eastern sector of Volcano Island".</p>
<p>
The institute added that some of the earthquakes were accompanied by rumbling and weakly felt by fish cage caretakers off the northeastern shorelines of the volcano island.</p>
<p>
These observation parameters may indicate that an eruption similar to the one on July 1 "may occur anytime soon", according to the institute.</p>
<p>
It raised the alert level to 3 on Taal volcano in Batangas province on July 1, following a phreatomagmatic eruption that "generated a short-lived dark phreatomagmatic plume 1 km high".</p>
<p>
A phreatomagmatic eruption refers to "an eruption that involves both magma and water, which typically interact explosively".</p>
<p>
Meanwhile, local authorities said that more than 5,000 villagers living close to the volcano have been evacuated to the temporary government shelters.</p>
<p>
Taal volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, last erupted in January 2020.</p>
<p>
The last eruption displaced nearly 380,000 villagers and destroyed many farms, houses and roads in the province.</p>