Photo courtesy of Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Taal Volcano showed renewed signs of internal activity after monitoring instruments detected a surge in earthquakes and tremors over the past day, state volcanologists reported Sunday.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said multiple seismic signals were recorded within 24 hours, a marked change from the relatively quiet conditions observed earlier in the week.
Data indicated a sharp rise in both short-lived volcanic earthquakes and longer tremor episodes, some of which persisted for extended periods beneath the volcano.
Phivolcs noted that activity levels in early January have already surpassed those logged late last year, underscoring a continuing pattern of unrest at the Batangas volcano.
Volcanic earthquakes, the agency explained, are caused by the movement of fluids or magma within the volcanic system, while tremors are sustained vibrations that reflect ongoing internal processes.
The increase in seismicity followed a brief explosive event days earlier, when an eruption driven by the interaction of magma and water sent ash and steam above the crater.
Taal remains under Alert Level 1, with Phivolcs emphasizing that no hazardous surface phenomena, such as volcanic smog or lake disturbances, were observed.
