Photo courtesy of Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Seismic activity at Taal Volcano eased over the past 24 hours, although volcanic earthquakes and continuous tremor activity persisted, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Friday.
Phivolcs recorded 31 volcanic earthquakes during the monitoring period, down from 61 logged the previous day. A volcanic tremor that began at 5:42 a.m. on July 23 also continued.
The agency said the sustained tremor was not unusual for Taal, noting that such seismic signals are commonly observed at active volcanoes.
Volcanic earthquakes are generated by magma-related activity beneath or near the volcano, while tremors may result from magma movement, closely spaced low-frequency earthquakes or volcanic explosions, according to Phivolcs.
Monitoring also showed sulfur dioxide emissions reaching 741 metric tons from the main crater. The volcanic plume rose about 759 meters before drifting toward the southeast.
Authorities did not observe upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the Main Crater Lake on Volcano Island during the latest assessment.
Phivolcs also reported that no volcanic smog, or vog, formed over the area throughout the monitoring period.
Taal remained under Alert Level 1, indicating low-level volcanic unrest. The agency reminded the public that the volcano continues to be in an abnormal state and that the possibility of hazardous eruptions has not been ruled out.