Raw InSAR interferogram generated by scientists at JPL using Sentinel-1b data. Geographic annotations and color sequence explanation added by Temblor. “LOS displacement (cm)” label stands for line-of-sight displacement in centimeters. Credit: Mary Grace Bato and Paul Lundgren, NASA JPL-Caltech, ESA

Raw InSAR interferogram generated by scientists at JPL using Sentinel-1b data. Geographic annotations and color sequence explanation added by Temblor. “LOS displacement (cm)” label stands for line-of-sight displacement in centimeters. Credit: Mary Grace Bato and Paul Lundgren, NASA JPL-Caltech, ESA

InSAR shows massive ground deformation around the erupting Taal Volcano


By Alka Tripathy-Lang

January 22, 2020

Before Sunday, Jan. 12, the Philippine volcano Taal was at Alert Level 1, out of 5, indicating a low level of abnormal activity. At 1 p.m. local time, the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, PHIVOLCS, began to raise the alert level, and by 7:30 p.m. that day, they issued an Alert Level 4, indicating that a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days, highlighting the rapidity with which Taal’s unrest turned to eruption. Alert Level 4 remains in effect as of this writing.

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