This can often precede, accompany or follow a more traditional volcanic eruption.
From US Geological Survey: usgs.gov/news/earthword…
Eruption cloud: cloud of tephra and gases formed downwind of volcano
From USGS: volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/glossary/e…
Taal has five alert levels. We are currently at level 4, which means hazardous eruption is possible within hours or days.
From USGS: volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/glossary/s…
Continuing seismic swarms are among the criteria being monitored by Phivolcs to determine the volcano’s alert level.
From USGS: volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/pyroclasti…
I’ve spoken with Phivolcs just now and they said this is really what they are watching out for.
Unlike a lava flow, these move very, very fast and can burn anything in its path.
From NatGeo: nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/p…
More from Scientific American: blogs.scientificamerican.com/rosetta-stones…
From Phivolcs director Renato Solidum (over DZMM): Eruptions happen when gas and rocks come out from inside a volcano. Eruptions can be explosive or not. What’s happening with Taal now is an “explosive eruption.”
Phivolcs’ latest bulletin recommended total evacuation of Taal Volcano island and in high-risk areas within the 14-km radius due to pyroclastic flows.
Lava: general term for magma (molten rock) that erupted into Earth’s surface and remained liquid/viscous
From USGS: volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/glossary/l…