Photo courtesy of Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Sulfur dioxide emissions from Taal Volcano have declined in recent days, but state volcanologists said the volcano continued to show signs of unrest beneath the surface.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that emissions from the main crater fell to 869 metric tons over the past 24 hours, with the plume rising about 600 meters before drifting southwest.
The latest reading was lower than the more than 1,300 metric tons recorded daily in the previous monitoring period, indicating a slowdown in gas release.
Despite this, the agency said seismic activity remained elevated, with 10 volcanic earthquakes detected during the same period.
Two episodes of volcanic tremor were also recorded, each lasting several minutes, signaling ongoing movement within the volcano.
Earlier data showed a spike in seismic activity, with more than 20 volcanic earthquakes and multiple tremor events logged just days prior, a sharp increase compared to quieter conditions observed in the previous week.
Phivolcs said such earthquakes were linked to processes occurring beneath the volcano, while tremors represented sustained low frequency vibrations that may indicate fluid movement.
Although no upwelling of hot fluids or volcanic smog was observed, Taal Volcano remained under Alert Level 1, with authorities reminding the public that the system is still in an abnormal state and that the possibility of eruptive activity has not been ruled out.