Taal Volcano’s sulfur dioxide emissions drop

Steam and ash rise from Taal Volcano’s Main Crater during a minor phreatomagmatic eruption on Friday, July 17, 2026. — Screengrab from Phivolcs/Facebook LUCENA CITY – Taal Volcano in Batangas emitted significantly less sulfur dioxide over the past 24 hours compared with recent days, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). In its Tuesday morning bulletin, Phivolcs said the volcano emitted 129 metric tons of sulfur dioxide, down from 289 metric tons recorded daily from July 15 to 19. READ: Taal Volcano’s toxic gas emissions drop to lowest level this year Article continues after this advertisement Despite the decline, the latest emission remained higher than the 59 metric tons measured on July 14, the volcano’s lowest daily sulfur dioxide output so far this year. Phivolcs said the previous lowest daily average was 78 metric tons, recorded from Jan. 1 to 8, while the highest sulfur dioxide emission this year reached 5,287 metric tons on June 4. It also recorded three volcanic earthquakes and two volcanic tremor events, each lasting between four and 480 minutes. State volcanologists said prolonged volcanic tremors are not unusual at Taal Volcano, which remains under Alert Level 1, or low-level volcanic unrest. They explained that volcanic tremors are continuous, low-frequency seismic vibrations that may indicate the movement of volcanic fluids, while volcanic earthquakes are generated by magma-related processes beneath or near an active volcano. Article continues after this advertisement Phivolcs also reported that no upwelling of hot volcanic fluids was observed in the Main Crater Lake, and no volcanic smog nor vog was detected during the monitoring period. Alert Level 1 remains, indicating that sudden steam-driven or phreatic eruptions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and hazardous volcanic gas emissions are possible. Article continues after this advertisement It reiterated that entry to Taal Volcano Island remains prohibited and advised aircraft to avoid flying close to the volcano’s crater due to potential hazards./coa Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.