TAAL VOLCANO
INTRO
The Taal Volcano is one of the fifteen decade volcanoes located on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines. Decade volcanoes are volcanoes that erupt every couple of decades. Taal is located only 60 km. away from Metro, Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Although most volcanic activity is confined to the intracaldera area, during some violent eruptions it can affect the surrounding area, such as in the 1754 plinian eruption.
aal is a stratovolcano with a large summit calderas.
ERUPTIVE HISTORY
Taal has a long but little known history of catastrophic explosive volcanism, with one to two orders of magnitudes larger and more devastating than those of Mt. Pinatubo.
Taal is located on the Philippine Plate near the Eurasian Plate 60 km south of Manila.
The most recent eruptions in Tails' history dates back to February 18, 1999, which speed 6 meter high geysers of mud and boiling hot water.
There has been 33 recorded eruptions from Taal since 1572. The four most destructive eruptions come from the years: 1749, 1754, 1911, and 1965.
PREDOMINANT TYPE OF ERUPTIONS
Taal has four different eruption types, the are Strombolian, Plinian, Phreatic, and Phreagmomagmatic.
MONITORING METHODS
A. Geophysical Method Seismic monitoring - telemetered seismic network; seismographs at Buco & Pira-piraso
B. Geodetic Methods Electronic Distance Measurement Precise leveling Tilt measurements (wet and dry)
C. Visual Observations
D. Geochemical geothermal methods (pH, silica, chloride, MG/Cl ratio)
E. Multiparameter digital telemetry - seismic, tilt temperature, acoustics, radon. conductivity Gas chemistry - monitoring of sulfur dioxide emission using Correlation Spectrometer (COSPEC)
F. Water Well Monitoring
VOLCANIC HAZARDS
Thirty three eruptions have been recorded since 1572 at Taal, mostly on Volcano Island. The impacts of these eruptions were largely confined to the intracaldera area. Occasional violent activity, however, such as the 1754 plinian eruption, affected the entire region, including what is now the Metro Manila area with fallout. Some activity, such as the 1749 eruption, were accompanied by crustal disturbance and strong earthquakes, which generated ground fissures and pronounced subsidence that extended across Taal lake.
MONITORING EFFORTS AND PLANS TO MITIGATE VOLCANIC HAZARDS