Taal at elevated alert as the volcano remains restless

A brief update today on the activity at Taal in the Philippines. There has not been a significant change in the behavior of the caldera, with the latest PHIVOLCS update mentioning 13 earthquakes under the volcano during the last 24 hours. However, one of those earthquakes on Volcano Island was larger than the rest and a rumbling sound was reported after the earthquake. The crater lake water at Volcano Island also increased to 31.5C (from 30.5C) and the edifice has experienced slight inflation since the last measurements in February. All of this activity means that Taal remains on alert status 2 with much of the area in the lake and its islands off limits to all. The current evacuations at the volcano have now reached nearly 1,500 people in shelters and a total of 5,000 people total have left the area voluntarily. The government has issues assurances that others near ...