Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Teresito Bacolcol on Wednesday warned of a continued rise in volcanic tremors at Taal Volcano due to increasing pressure beneath the surface.
Bacolcol said the real-time seismic amplitude measurements (RSAM) recorded on July 6 showed heightened activity, prompting the agency to issue an advisory on the possibility of a minor steam-driven eruption.
‘‘There may have been a buildup of pressure. Since July 6, we’ve been recording volcanic tremors for four days now and they’re still ongoing. If the pressure continues to accumulate, it could trigger a sudden eruption,’’ Bacolcol explained.
He clarified that the volcanic activity poses no threat to the ongoing search for the bodies of missing cockfighting enthusiasts reportedly dumped in Taal
Lake, as the lake is located outside the volcano’s permanent danger zone.
‘‘What’s off-limits is the Taal Volcano Island, which is within our permanent danger zone. The lake itself is beyond that zone. In fact, there are fishing activities and fish cages in the area. So I don’t think there will be any problems,’’ Bacolcol said.
He added that volcanic tremors can last for an extended period, citing a previous case in which Taal experienced continuous tremors for 221 days from July 7, 2021, until February 2022.
