Taal Volcano

By: Kadish Hagley and Cecil Brooks Jr.

Department of Geology, Colby College

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Taal_Volcano_aerial_2013.jpg

Basic Facts and Location

● Taal is on Luzon Island, Philippines, 14°0′7″N 120°59′34″E

● Pacific Ring of Fire

● On the Eurasian Plate

● 50 km (31 mi) south of the capital city, Manila (pop. 12,000,000)

● Second most active volcano in the Philippines (33 Historical Eruptions)

Tectonic Setting● Taal lies on a

subduction zone.

● The Eurasian Plate is being subducted underneath the Philippine Mobile Belt (which contains the Philippine Sea plate and the Manila Trench).

Taal’s Dimensions● Taal is one of

the shortest active volcanoes in the world!○ Highest

Elevation: 311 m (1,020 ft.)

● Area of Caldera: Approximately 15 x 20 square kilometers (115.8 square miles)

Taal’s Form…….is Tricky!

● Located on an island (Volcano Island), within a caldera/lake (Taal Lake) within an island (Luzon)

● Relatively young; formed only 500,000 years ago

● Considered a stratovolcano or a complex volcano of a hydroclastic nature

● Taal Volcano contains a lake called Crater Lake ○ Crater lake is the largest lake on an island in a

lake on an island IN THE WORLD! (Give me a break!)

Eruptive History

● Has erupted 33 times since being first discovered in 1572 by Augustinian Friars

● Years of Eruption: 1977, 1976, 1970, 1969, 1968, 1967, 1966, 1965, 1911, 1904, 1903, 1885?, 1878, 1874, 1873, 1842, 1825, 1808, 1790, 1754, 1749, 1731, 1729, 1716, 1715, 1709, 1707, 1645, 1641, 1635, 1634, 1609, 1591, 1572

Eruption Types

1. Phreatic – steam eruption without lava ejection (e.g. 1878, 1911, 1970)

2. Phreatomagmatic – explosive water-magma interaction (e.g. 1749, 1965, 1966)

3. Strombolian – short-lived, explosive eruptions with relatively viscous lava (e.g. 1968, 1969)

4. Plinian – powerful convecting eruptions filled with ash (e.g. 1754)

Precursors to Eruptions1. Increase in frequency of quakes with occasional felt events accompanied by rumbling sounds

2. Temperature and level of Main Crater Lake increases

3. New thermal vents develop and/or old ones reactivate

4. Ground swells or inflation and ground fissuring

5. Temperature of ground probe holes at Mt. Tabaro rises

6. Sulfuric odor with acidic fumes

7. Fish die and vegetation dries up

●Began on January 30, 1911, this eruption is considered one of the worst volcanic disasters in history

●The eruption killed about 1400 people in Manila, 702 Cattle, destroyed 543 homes

●Many deaths were attributed to the ½ inch ashfall

●VEI= 3.7 (Pinatubo VEI = 6)

●75,000,000 cubic meters of solid matter

●Allowed Taal to be classified as a “decade volcano” to incentivize study to prevent future disaster

Eruption of 1911

Recent Volcanic Activity

2012 Unrest• 60 Earthquakes recorded in a 24 hour period;

highest intensity earthquake was a III2011 Unrest• Placed on level 2 alert in April of 2011 due

to intrusion of magma to surface• Sites close to volcano closed off to visitors

due to toxic gas (carbon dioxide) scare

2010 Unrest• Loud hissing sounds heard by many• Large increase in crater lake temperature•Magmatic intrusion2008 Earthquakes• 10 earthquakes were recorded at Taal

Diverse Range of Volcanic Products

• Pyroclastic lava flows • Toxic gases (Mostly

CO2 and Sulphur) • Lake tsunamis• Lakeshore flooding • Lahars• Earthquakes• Ground fissuring • Subsidence • Landslides• Turbulent ash flows

Diverse Range of Volcanic Products

● A series of explosive eruptions has created large deposits of ignimbrite, a volcanic product typical of pyroclastic flows.

● Significant amounts of olivine basalt and andesite can be found on Taal in addition to ignimbrite.

Tourism

● Tourism is a big part of Taal, especially in its caldera.

● Tourists can travel to the top of the volcano by horseback or foot.

● Despite trace amounts sulfuric acid, tourists can bathe in the lake.

●Well received trip on TripAdvisor: 4/5 stars, 79% of people would recommend.

●There are a variety of excursions and day trips to Taal from Manila, San Nicolas, and Talisay.

Tourism

Geothermal Activity

● The Philippines is currently the world’s second-largest producer of geothermal energy (next to the United States).

● Six new geothermal power contracts were approved by the Philippines’ Department of Energy in 2011.

● Despite the presence of a hydrothermal reservoir and natural geothermal activity under Taal, there is currently no human collection of energy from Taal’s volcanic activity.

Monitoring● Principal Monitoring done by the Philippine

Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOLCS.

● Monitoring Methods:1. Seismic monitoring (number of volcanic quakes and tremors)2. Visual observations3. Ground deformation (EDM, precise leveling, tilt)4. Main Crater Lake chemistry, temperature and level

Image Sourceshttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Taal_Volcano_aerial_2013.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taal_Volcano#mediaviewer/File:Philippines_relief_location_map_(square).svghttp://www.malapascua.de/Volcanoe-Map/Taal__Philippines/Taal-Map4-300x327.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4639392140_21dff694cc.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taal_Lake#mediaviewer/File:Taal_lake_vicinity.pnghttp://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1587912-d548158-i115552099-Taal_Volcano-Batangas_Province_Calabarzon_Region_Luzon.htmlhttp://volcano.oregonstate.edu/taalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taal_Volcano#mediaviewer/File:Crater_lake_02.jpg

BibliographyHike Taal Volcano

www.taalvolcano.org/information.htmVolcano World – Taal

volcano.oregonstate.edu/taal Taal Volcano

http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/html/update_VMEPD/Volcano/VolcanoList/taal.htmTaal Lake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taal_LakeTaal Volcano

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taal_VolcanoTaal Volcano

http://www.iml.rwth-aachen.de/Petrographie/taal.html#HazardsTaal Volcano

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/taal.htmlTaal Volcano

http://volcanolive.com/taal.html