Taal Volcano update: 7 volcanic quakes logged; Alert Level 1 stays

LUCENA CITY—Taal Volcano in Batangas had seven volcanic earthquakes and a prolonged tremor over the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported Sunday morning.

The volcano, however, remains under Alert Level 1 (low level of volcanic unrest).

Phivolcs noted that the volcanic tremor began at 7:10 p.m. on Saturday until the latest monitoring period.

Despite the extended duration, Phivolcs clarified that volcanic tremors are standard occurrences at Taal and do not present an immediate cause for concern.

From Sept. 1 to 13, Taal has logged a total of 52 volcanic earthquakes and three tremor episodes.

This reflects a notable decrease in seismic activity compared to the Aug. 20 to 28 monitoring period, which had 229 volcanic quakes and 12 tremor episodes.

Additionally, Phivolcs recorded weak sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions averaging 526 metric tons per day since Sept. 1. No upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the main crater lake or volcanic smog (vog) were observed. /gsg