The 2020 eruption and the large lateral dike emplacement at Taal
volcano, Philippines: Insights from radar satellite data
Abstract
On 12 January 2020, Taal volcano, Philippines, erupted after 43 years of
repose, affecting more than 500,000 people. Using interferometric
synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data, we present the complete pre- to
post-eruption analyses of the deformation of Taal. We find that: 1)
prior to eruption, the volcano experienced long-term deflation followed
by short-term inflation, reflecting the depressurization-pressurization
of its ~5 km depth magma reservoir; 2) during the
eruption, the magma reservoir lost a volume of 0.531 +/- 0.004 km^3
while a 0.643 +/- 0.001 km^3 lateral dike was emplaced; and 3)
post-eruption analyses reveal that the magma reservoir started recovery
approximately 3 weeks after the main eruptive phase. We propose a
conceptual analysis explaining the eruption and address why, despite the
large volume of magma emplaced, the dike remained at depth. We also
report the unique and significant contribution of InSAR data during the
peak of the crisis.