Taal Volcano In The Philippines Remains Uneasy

Taal Volcano is a complex volcano. It is located on the large Philippine island of Luzon. Further, the volcano is in Batangas province. It is the Philippines’ second most active volcano with 34 historical eruptions. Viewed from Cavite’s Tagaytay Ridge, Taal Volcano and Lake boasts one of the Philippines’ most picturesque sites. In addition, it sits about 50 kilometers south of the country’s capital, Manila.

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According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), Taal Volcano is one of the 24 active volcanoes in the country. The volcano is also among the lowest and deadliest volcanoes in the world. While it is known as an active volcano, it had not erupted in 43 years, or since 1977.

However, as of January 12, 2020, the volcano started acting strange. The authorities warned the public with an Alert Level 4. This is a warning of a “dangerous” eruption that could occur “in hours or days.” As we are writing this, the volcano is spewing ashes and lava from its craters. Here are some facts you need to know about this uneasy volcano.

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Photo credit: newsinfo.inquirer.ne

This Is Nothing New

In the past, the volcano has experienced several violent eruptions. Even further, it has caused the loss of life on the island and the populated areas around the lake. The death toll for this volcano is estimated at around 6,000. In addition, the volcano has been named a Decade Volcano due to its proximity to populated areas and its eruptive past. Therefore, it is worthy of close research to prevent future natural disasters. All the Philippine volcanoes belong to the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Within 448 years, a total of 34 eruptions with varying characteristics were recorded.

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The Volcano Has Many Craters

It has 47 craters and 4 maars (volcanic craters created by an explosion in contact with hot rock or magma wihere old groundwater occurs). Located on Volcano Island, the largest crater lake is 1.9 kilometers in diameter.

Volcano Island lies in the middle of Taal Lake, where many of the previous eruptions occurred. The rock type of Taal Volcano is classified as basalt olivine. Additionally, it is part of the Macolod Corridor–Luzon’s approximately 40-kilometer-wide area of ongoing volcanic activity. The estimated height is 311 meters.

People Are Evacuating

In its relief efforts, the private sector has chipped to complement the aid of the government. They support the efforts through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, which includes the largest corporations in the country.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that at least 24,508 people fled their homes in the Batangas and Cavite provinces. This is as of noon on Monday, January 13th, as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash and is nearly an imminent “hazardous eruption.”

Also, there have been a total of 144 volcanic earthquakes in the Taal area since Sunday afternoon. Phivolcs said 44 of these earthquakes in Tagaytay City range from intensity I to V.

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Photo credit: vaticannews.va

Conclusion

If you want to help, you can donate money, clothes, and food items. Additionally, for more information about donating, click here.

Taal is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Philippines. Currently, the people of Metro Manila and nearby regions are experiencing ashfall and frequent earthquakes.