Allan Gatus of Super Radyo’s DZBB shared a photo of seemingly calm Taal Volcano after several days rumbling, early Friday morning.
However, the PHIVOLCS bulletin issued on Thursday morning said the volcano is still under Alert Level 4, which means it can have a hazardous explosion within days.
Philvocs also said the amount of sulfur dioxide Taal Volcano emitted indicates the upward movement of magma to the surface, has increased.
As of the latest measurement on January 15, the sulfur dioxide emission was at an average of 4,186 tons per day — higher than the average of 1,686 tons per day that was recorded on January 14.
Yesterday, Philvocs said that the water in Taal Volcano’s main crater lake dried up based on the satellite images sent by its partner organization.
Mariton Bornas, chief of the Phivolcs’ volcano monitoring and eruption prediction division, said they received reports that the volcano’s main crater lake already vaporized.
“Nakatanggap po tayo ng satellite images from our partner organization USGS kung saan nakita po natin na vaporize na, nawala na po ang main crater lake,” Bornas said in a press briefing.
(We have received satellite images from our partner organization USGS where we saw the main crater lake vaporized, it already disappeared.)
The satellite also captured images of smaller craters with vents releasing volcanic gas and ashes inside the main crater.
Philvocs reported up to 520 earthquakes around Taal Volcano since Sunday. One hundred sixty-nine of which were felt with intensities ranging from I to V. It is a sign of continuous magma movement and a possible explosive eruption of the volcano.
The agency said it would be tough to predict when and how massive Taal Volcano’s eruption would be, but it is highly possible. Philvocs continue to urge residents within the 14 km radius to evacuate, for they are high-risk areas.