Eye of the storm

BATANGAS, PHILIPPINES, 12 JANUARY

Schools closed, flights cancelled and face masks called for. Sound familiar? This was the situation in January, when large amounts of volcanic ash covered the area surrounding the Taal volcano following its eruption.

A volcanic eruption creates columns of ash in the air, called ash plumes. These plumes contain particles – a mixture of rock, minerals and volcanic glass – which generate electricity when they collide with each other. This causes what’s known as volcanic lightning.

The Taal Volcano Network continues to monitor the volcano’s activity and is recording volcanic earthquakes on a regular basis.