PHIVOLCS says changes in Taal landscape normal, hopes fissures won’t be covered up

Taal Volcano's geological transformation amid its continuous activity is normal, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Tuesday.

"These are really the geomorphic changes or the surface changes on Taal Volcano every time it erupts. We have a change in the morphology or in the shape of the main crater, particularly in the main crater floor," PHIVOLCS Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division chief Mariton Bornas said at a press conference.

A look back at the image of Taal Volcano before its fatal eruption took place in 1911 would prove that change has always been an old friend of the cherished tourist attraction.

"Before the 1911 eruption, in fact, there was no large lake inside the main crater. The main crater consisted of several vents, most of them were on the eastern side of the crater and they had names. These craters had names during the Spanish occupation," Bornas said.

"When the 1911 eruption occurred, all of these materials were blown off and because there is a reduction in material, all of the springs around the crater filled the crater with water," she added.

After Taal Volcano awakened on January 12, some vents that previously disappeared have been restored.

"From the point of view of before the eruption, these are new vents but from the point of view of the life of the main crater, these are actually reinstated vents of Taal," Bornas said.

Further, she said that ash deposits from the recent activity have altered the landscape around the volcano. Fissuring and subsidence were also observed.

PHIVOLCS previously said that an area in the northeastern part of the Taal Volcano Island sank while the main crater lake has already dried up.

"Through time the people will learn to cope with all of these changes," Bornas said.

"We just hope that some of these indicators of change, 'yung palatandaan, will be memorialized in some ways. For example, the fissures, hopefully, will not be touched so that people will remember that there are fissures here, para maalala ng mga tao," she added.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, more than 148,000 residents from affected areas in Calabarzon are currently staying in evacuation centers as volcanologists warn that a hazardous eruption is still possible within hours to days.

Alert Level 4 is still in effect as of Tuesday, PHIVOLCS said.

A significant drop in the sulfur dioxide emission and fewer volcanic earthquakes were recently recorded in Taal Volcano, it added.

The sulfur dioxide released by the volcano has dropped to an average of 344 tonnes/day compared to the 4,353 tonnes/day recorded on Monday.

PHIVOLCS previously explained that the presence of more sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere means that the magma is shallow or moving closer to the surface.

Amid complaints from residents driven out of their homes by the volcano's activity, PHIVOLCS said it will be the first one to inform the public if it's already safe to go back to their homes.

"We understand their plight. We are working doubly hard so that we can give them the best information. We will be the first one to say if it's safe to go back because we have them in mind all the time," PHIVOLCS Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division chief Mariton Bornas said in a press conference on Tuesday. — MDM/KG, GMA News