Taal volcano continues emitting steam as fissures identified in barangays of Lemery, Agoncillo, Talisay, and San Nicolas in Batangas Province widen, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported on Friday, January 17, 2020. Alert Level 4 remains in place over the volcano, indicating an imminent hazardous eruption.
Taal's eruption resumed on Monday with weak, irregular lava fountaining and hydrovolcanic activity which caused steam-laden plumes that went up to as high as two kilometers. According to PHIVOLCS' 4 p.m. bulletin, heavy ashfall has fallen southweat of the volcano island in the Batangas towns of Cuenca, Lemery, and Taal.
On January 13, orange, glowy lava began to spew from its nethers. About one million people living within the 17 km radius from the volcano were told to evacuate immediately, due to the high risk of the so-called “blast eruption”, during which the lava is forcefully ejected from the volcano.
Towns and cities included in the 17-km radius considered as high-risk areas are San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Talisay, Laurel, Tanauan City, Tagaytay City, Cuenca, Mataas na Kahoy, Balete, Lemery, Taal, Lipa. the Philippine National Bank said in a report the Taal Volcano eruption would have an impact on the trajectory of inflation in the days.
Those villages were all evacuated, though volcanology officials have called for a total evacuation of endangered communities within a 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) radius of Taal.
The eruption opened a new crater 1.5 km long and 0.3 km wide on the southwest side of Volcano Island in Lake Taal. It also covered an area of about 60 square kilometers with a blanket of ash more than 25 cm thick and deposited fine ash as far as 80 km west of the vent.
DOST-PHIVOLCS strongly reiterates total evacuation of Taal Volcano Island and areas at high risk to pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami within a 14-kilometer radius from Taal Main Crater. Areas in the general north of Taal Volcano are advised to guard against the effects of heavy and prolonged ashfall.
Taal volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines and has produced some of its most powerful historical eruptions. Located on the southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines Archipelago, the volcano consists of a 15-22-km prehistoric caldera, occupied by Lake Taal, the active vent complex of Volcano Island and the Crater Lake (TCL), 1.9 km in diameter.