Understanding Phreatic Eruption: Taal Volcano’s steam-driven blast explained

Taal Volcano experienced a minor phreatic eruption on 15 February 2025, sending a 900-meter steam plume into the air. While no immediate escalation in volcanic activity has been reported, authorities have reiterated warnings for the public to stay out of the Taal Volcano Island (TVI) permanent danger zone.

What is a Phreatic Eruption?

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), phreatic eruptions are steam-driven explosions that happen when water beneath the ground or on the surface is suddenly heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or newly deposited volcanic material. This rapid heating causes the water to boil or flash into steam, resulting in an explosion.

PHIVOLCS has urged the public to avoid entering TVI, emphasizing that phreatic eruptions are common in active volcanoes and can happen even at Alert Level 0. Some active volcanoes, like Taal, may experience multiple phreatic eruptions within a short period.

Taal Volcano, located in Southern Luzon, sits within one of the most tectonically active regions in the world. The Philippines is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a zone characterized by frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.