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- Taal Volcano is an active volcano on the island of Luzon in the
Philippines south west from Manila. It consists of an island in Lake
Taal, which is situated within a caldera formed by an earlier very
large eruption. It is about 50 km from the capital, Manila. It has an
elevation of 600 meters above sea level. The volcano is a complex
cinder and tuff cones formed inside a large caldera, the main rock type
of which is Olivine Basalt. The main crater lake of the volcano island
is four (4) meters above sea level making the island one of the lowest
and most active volcanoes in the world. The deepest point of the lake
is approximately 172 meters.
- The lake and its environs is home
to many species of flora and fauna a number of which are endemic to the
lake like the " Tawilis ", the only fresh water
sardine in the world and the Taal Lake Seasnake
or known to locals as '' Duhol '', the only freshwater sea snake in the
world. This snake still has salt glands to eliminate excess salt,
despite being in a freshwater habitat. Other endemic forms include
blue green algae, diatom, ostracod, sponge, reptile and fishes. There
are many other species, which until now have yet to be documented, and
whose natural histories have not been fully studied.
- There
have been 33 recorded eruptions at Taal since 1572. The most recent
period of activity lasted from 1965 to 1977, and was characterised by
the interaction of magma with lake water, producing violent phreatic
explosions. These generated base surges and cold pyroclastic flows,
which travelled several kilometres across Lake Taal and devasted
villages on the lake shore, killing several hundred people. The
population of the island itself had been evacuated when the eruption
began.
- Although the volcano has been dormant since 1977, it has
shown signs of unrest since 1991, with strong seismic activity and
ground fracturing events, as well as the formation of small mud geysers
on parts of the island. Taal volcano has a unique geological history.
Formation-wise, it cannot be compared with other volcanoes because it
was formed through one major eruption at the center of the lake, and
since the lake itself is the crater of a prehistoric volcano. The vista
from the rim is unrivaled. ‘’
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- The Taal
Volcano Protected Landscape, which is an active strato-volcano on the
island of Luzon, straddles the provinces of Batangas and Cavite, with
an area of 62,292.14 hectares and situated in the municipalities of
Talisay, Malvar, Tanauan, Laurel, Agoncillo, Sta. Teresita, Cuenca,
Alitagtag, Mataas na Kahoy, Lipa City, Balete and San Nicolas in
Batangas & Tagaytay City in Cavite.
- It consists of an island in
Lake Taal, which is situated within a caldera formed by an earlier very
large eruption. It is about 50 km from the capital, Manila.
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