Taal Volcano – A Complex Volcano

Taal Volcano, a complex volcano and known as the lowest volcano is one of the smallest active volcanoes in the world. It is situated in the midst of Taal Lake, in the southern part of Luzon in the Philippines, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Manila, in the province of Batangas. It is located between the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas in the province of Batangas.

Taal Volcano, was once a huge volcano towering at 18,000 feet. It seems small now but it was one of the largest volcanoes in the world. The volcano has erupted several times, causing loss of lives and devastating damage to the areas surrounding the lake. Thirty three eruptions have been recorded since 1572 at Taal, mostly on Volcano Island. The impacts of these eruptions were largely confined to the nearby areas with occasional violent eruption such as the 1749 eruption that reached the Metro Manila area and accompanied by strong earthquakes.

Taal volcano has a crater containing several lakes of many-colored boiling liquids. Taal Lake is often referred to as “the lake on an island on a lake on an island”. Right in the center of the island is the main crater of Taal Volcano that holds a sulfuric lake. Taal Volcano is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines, all part of the Pacific ring of fire. It is famous for having an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Quite a description and that’s what makes Taal Volcano unique.

Since the formation of the caldera, subsequent eruptions have created another volcanic island, within the caldera, known as Volcano Island. This island covers an area of about 23 km., and consists of overlapping cones and craters. Forty-seven different cones and craters have been identified on the island. Volcano Island contains a lake about 2 km across, called Crater Lake. Within Crater Lake is another small volcanic island, called Vulcan Point. Vulcan Point is frequently cited in the Philippines as the world’s largest volcanic island within a lake on an island within a lake on an island, namely, Vulcan Point within Crater Lake, on Taal Island within Lake Taal, on the island of Luzon. Are you confused yet? It’s a brain workout!

Within the island are four craters. The main crater is in the center of the island while the dormant volcano crater can be seen at the edge of the island. The third and fourth craters are called “Twin Craters” which were formed during the eruption of 1965. I was still in the Philippines at that time when that happened. I remember when I heard the news. I was working for Upjohn Inc in the Philippines when the president of the company who was an Australian rushed out of his office with a camera and said he was off to see the Taal Volcano erupting. He said it was a rare opportunity for him that he did not want to miss. You can view the eruption from Tagaytay ridge. Actually, Tagaytay Ridge is the rim of the volcano! When the volcano was 18,000 feet high, Tagaytay ridge would have been only about a sixth of the way to the top of the volcano!!