Elsevier

Earth-Science Reviews

Volume 177, February 2018, Pages 565-588
Earth-Science Reviews

A synthesis and review of historical eruptions at Taal Volcano, Southern Luzon, Philippines

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.11.014Get rights and content

Abstract

The Philippines is an area of persistent volcanism, being located in one of the most tectonically active regions in the world. Taal Volcano in Southern Luzon is the second most frequently erupting volcano of the 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. A comprehensive and critical review of published and unpublished references describing the 33 known historical eruptions of Taal may provide answers to knowledge gaps on past eruptive behavior, processes, and products that could be utilized for hazard and risk assessment of future eruptions.

Data on the prehistoric eruptions and evolution of Taal Caldera and subsequent deposits are limited. Only four caldera-forming events were identified based on four mapped ignimbrite deposits. From oldest to youngest, these are the silicic Alitagtag (ALI) and Caloocan (CAL) Pumice Flow deposits, the dacitic Sambong Ignimbrite (SAM), and the basaltic-andesitic Taal Scoria Flow, renamed Scoria Pyroclastic Flow (SFL). Except for SFL with 14C dating yielding 5380 ± 70 to 6830 ± 80 ky, there are no age constraints or estimates of extent for the three older deposits.

A comprehensive review of the historical eruptions of Taal Volcano is the central element of this paper and includes all eruptions from AD1572 (the first known historic event) to AD1977. Eruption styles and the interplay between processes and products for each eruption are reinterpreted based on the narrative descriptions from all available accounts. A change of classification of eruption styles and eruptive products is undertaken for some events. At least nine reported eruptions were deemed uncertain including the AD1605-AD1611 event (more likely seismic swarms), the AD1634, AD1635, and AD1645 (may simply be solfataric or hydrothermal activity) events, and the AD1790, AD1825, AD1842, AD1873 and AD1903 events that were listed in recent published and unpublished documents but do not provide any details to describe and confirm the eruptions except for listing a default VEI of 2.

Pyroclastic density currents brought devastating impacts to the communities around Taal during the AD1749, AD1754, AD1911 and AD1965 eruptions and remain the biggest threat in the case of renewed volcanic activity. Significant implications for aviation are implied by the narrative of tephra fall dispersal towards Manila, the central gateway of international aviation operation in the Philippines, during the AD1754 eruptions. The dispersal of tephra in the event of an explosive eruption at Taal towards Metro Manila would have catastrophic effects to transport, utilities and business activity, potentially generating enormous economic losses. Hazards from earthquake events associated with future volcanic activity may also have localized impacts. Occurrences of liquefaction phenomena as a consequence of severe ground shaking are interpreted during the AD1749, AD1754, and AD1911 eruptions.

More work needs to be done to develop a comprehensive understanding of the hazards and risks associated with an explosive eruption at Taal Volcano, especially related to the older Quaternary caldera-forming eruptions that produced large-volume pyroclastic deposits that are extensively distributed and exposed. We acknowledge that there may be additional prehistoric eruptions where the eruptive products have not been preserved, recognized or reported. Events that cannot be verified or do not have sufficient details to confirm the eruption, have been downgraded to “uncertain”. Eruptions that are confirmed with identified dispersal and emplacement of tephra fall and other eruptive deposits, as interpreted from narrated records, could provide crucial information that may be utilized in hazard assessment.

Section snippets

Introduction and aims

The geologic setting of the Philippines in one of the most tectonically active regions in the world makes it an area of persistent volcanism. It is located at the interface of the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate (Fig. 1A). The Philippines is home to 24 of some 400 global volcanoes currently classified as active (Fig. 1B). According to the national agency, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS-DOST, 2016a), an active volcano is defined as “one that has

Tectonic and geographic setting and regional geology

In order to understand the geological processes underpinning the behavior of Taal Volcano, it is necessary to have a grasp of the regional tectonic, geological and geographical setting of the Philippines and the area in which Taal is located.

The Philippine Archipelago, located at the interface between the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate, was formed by the oblique convergence of the westward-subducting Philippine Sea Plate along the East Luzon Trench and the Philippine Trench, and

Eruption history and products

This section provides a brief overview of Taal's prehistoric eruption history followed by a comprehensive summary of the historical and recent eruptions of Taal between AD1572 and AD1977, as well as new interpretations of processes and products by the present authors. The historic eruptions are divided into four series covering the recorded history of the Philippines that stretches back approximately 600 years. Reports of friars and others during and since the Spanish and American occupation,

Discussion

We first provided an overview of the regional and local tectonic and geologic setting of Taal Volcano, collated and summarized from published references. There is very limited descriptive geological data available on the prehistoric eruptions and the evolution of Taal during older Quaternary eruptions. However, one important work on the evolution of Taal Caldera was published by Listanco (1994) where he identified four caldera-forming events based on four ignimbrite deposits. Others are works

Recommendations for future work

  • 1.

    More research is critically needed on the older Quaternary caldera-forming eruptions that produced large-volume pyroclastic deposits. These are extensively distributed and exposed and will build a better picture of the early evolution of Taal Volcano, as well as provide an estimate of recurrence rate of large eruptions from Taal Caldera.

  • 2.

    One especially important question is whether and how small eruptions can grow into large explosive eruptions like that of c. 5700 BP. Knowledge of any

Conclusion

With increasing population and urbanization of communities in and around Taal Volcano island, and the growing societal impact of a recurrence of a worst-case scenario at Taal Volcano similar to eruptions in AD1749, AD1754, AD1911 and AD1965, better understanding of the mechanism and dynamics of potential processes and products could provide important information for hazard and risk assessment, and emergency management.

This critical review of eruption reports provides new insights and

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the efforts done by previous authors to provide monumental descriptions of the eruptive history of Taal Volcano. This paper tried to summarize these very significant efforts, as well as provide additional interpretations of eruptive phenomena where required.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Department of Science and Technology issued PHIVOLCS Office Order No. 33, Series of 2016 which

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    Permanent/Main address: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), C.P. Garcia Ave., UP Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines.

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