1572 Eruption of Taal
Taal in the Philippines erupted in 1572 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3.
Where it erupted
Taal, Philippines, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- 1572
- Volcano
- Taal, stratovolcano
- Country
- Philippines
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
- Killed by
- Lava flows
- Location
- 14.011° N, 120.998° E
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
The description of activity relayed by Father Gaspar de San Agustin (1699, In Saderra Maso, 1911, p6; In Worcester, 1912, p313) was written as follows: “there is a volcano of fire which is wont to spit forth many and very large rocks, which are glowing and destroy the crops of the native”. The eruption was previously interpreted as phreatomagmatic (PHIVOLCS-DOST, 1991). We suggest an alternative interpretation of the phenomena as possibly Strombolian activity with lava fountaining and/or lava flow. Further, Father Gaspar de San Agustin made reference to damages to agricultural crops but did not describe dispersal or the extent of this damage. Saderra Maso and Worcester affirms the activity in AD1572 by the action of the first rector of the new town, Father Alburquerque, who performed mass at TVI in order to calm the fears of residents. Further affirmation of the eruption was made by Father Rada (identified as Father Nada by Worcester) when he recorded that Taal was in eruption in AD1572. The performance of a mass was the first show of the influence of religion in relation to an occurrence of a natural phenomenon at Taal Volcano and in the Philippines. (reference #12820)
Other significant eruptions of Taal
More
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 745.