PHIVOLCS: Taal Volcano may be downgraded to Alert Level 2 in next two weeks

Taal Volcano may be downgraded to Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) within the next two weeks if the situation further improves, a Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) official said on Tuesday.

At the weekly “Talk to the People”, PHIVOLCS Chief Renato Solidum Jr. assured that the agency is continuously monitoring the volcano’s status and is prepared for possible scenarios following its unrest.

“Ano pong inaasahan natin sa kasalukuyan? Puwede pong sustained lang sa Alert Level 3 o kung tuloy-tuloy na humupa starting today, walang explosions, puwede tayo magbaba ng Alert Level 2 within the next two weeks,” he said.

(What are our expectations as of the moment? Alert Level 3 can be sustained or if it continues to subside, if there are no explosions starting today, we can downgrade it to Alert Level 2 within the next two weeks.)

Solidum also said PHIVOLCS is ready should Alert Level 4 (Hazardous Eruption Imminent) be hoisted over Taal.

The volcano was placed under Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest) over the weekend following phreatomagmatic bursts.

PHIVOLCS recorded on Monday three more phreatomagmatic bursts and eight volcanic earthquakes.

A total of four volcanic tremor events meanwhile were observed in Taal Volcano in the past 24 hours, PHIVOLCS said on Wednesday.

In its report of its observation from 5 a.m. on Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday, PHIVOLCS said volcanic earthquakes lasted two to five minutes with low level background tremor.

The volcano emitted 4,474 tonnes of sulfur dioxide, it added.

According to PHIVOLCS, the plume coming from the volcano rose up to 1,500 meters before drifting southwest and northwest. —BAP/KG, GMA News