Ongoing elevated seismic activity under the volcano sparked fears that the volcano, which had a massive, devastating eruption little more than a year ago, in January 2020, might erupt again in the near future. It prompted authorities to evacuate residents from Volcano Island, located within the crater lake of Taal volcano in the Province of Batangas, Philippines.
Volcano Island is within the designated Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) of the Taal Volcano due to its location within the crater lake. The evacuations affected the remaining small villages located on the shores of the island, as they are only a few kilometer distance from the active crater lake in the center of the island away.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has recorded more than 300 volcanic tremor episodes since Feb. 15, 2021. GPS data and satellite-based radar analysis show that the volcano continues a slow trend of inflation. These observations indicate that magma is accumulating inside its reservoirs.
At the surface, activity has not changed significantly and seems calm – for now. The temperature of the highly acid crater lake was last measured on 12 Feb 2021 and was at a maximum of 77.1°C with a pH of 1.59. PHIVOLCS reported weak emission of white steam-laden plumes from fumaroles that rose 5 meters high.