By Hanah Tabios As different interpretations of the Taal Volcano eruption continue to circulate on social media, Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) chief Dr. Renato Solidum reminded the public to rely solely on the official data released by the agency to prevent panic and confusion. Dr. Renato Solidum
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Social media users have been sharing information online about the unfolding disaster in Batangas province, the data coming from individuals who claimed expertise in studying the volcano’s morphology and its eruptive processes. “The public should exercise caution and not share interpretations that are not official, but instead focus on the information from DOST (Department of Science and Technology)-Phivolcs which has the actual data on the volcano,” Solidum told the Manila Bulletin in an interview. The veteran seismologist said data being shared among the public were “dangerous” as these could elicit conflicting opinions which could potentially create panic especially among the affected residents and evacuees in the disaster-hit province. Solidum’s call came after the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) had earlier appealed to the public to refrain from sharing fake and unverified news about the Taal eruption. “Yung iba kasing mapa walang interpretation, at yung ibang mga mapa kasi pinapakita lang colorful pero walang interpretation, and that’s very dangerous kasi ‘yung mga tao ang nag-iisip,” Solidum said in a separate interview. (Some maps don’t have interpretation, others are only colorful but without interpretation, and that’s very dangerous because people could come to wrong conclusions.) In Thursday’s press briefing, Phivolcs, for the first time, provided a visual presentation of their data samples supported by graphs and figures to properly communicate and answer queries from the media. They presented information about Taal's volcanic earthquakes, sulfur dioxide emissions, and fissures, among others. “May mga bitak nag- iinterpret sila ng mga fissures doon sa Lemery, San Nicolas, Agoncillo. doon lalabas ang magma, kaya nga pinapakita namin dito yung talagang image ng magma body na umaakyat pinapakita namin na dumeretso doon sa Volcano Island para wala ng kalituhan,” he said. (They are interpreting the fissures in Lemery, San Nicolas, Agoncillo, saying the magma will erupt there. That’s why we are showing the image of the magma body that is rising and we are showing that it is going straight to Volcano Island so there will be no more confusion.) “Meron ding nagvo-vlog na ineepxlain ‘yung volcano or ‘yung earthquakes sa Mabini. May mga mali po doon sa sinasabi, na imbes na makatulong, baka mapaniwala yung iba na ganun yung interpretation o di kaya magkaroon ng mas panic na unnecessary,” he added, referring to a Filipino scholar in a foreign country who held a series of online sessions about the Taal disaster in hopes of explaining the event in a more understandable way. (There is also a vlogger explaining the volcano or the Mabini earthquakes. There are errors in what they are saying, so instead of helping, they might mislead others or cause unnecessary panic.) Satellite data vs. GPS data Apart from infographics or visuals created by combined imagery, charts, and minimal text for an easy –to-understand topic overview, the most common type of data shared by online users about the Taal eruption are satellite images. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Earthdata, satellite technology makes it possible to monitor volcanic activity “in even the most isolated corners of the globe.” Cornell University also affirmed that satellite observations can measure ground deformation or change in shape, as well as changes in surface temperature of a volcano during its pre-eruptive unrest. Since Taal Volcano erupted, a number of organizations have been forwarding different types of information to Phivolcs, including these types of data, the agency said. Maria Antonia Bornas, Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division chief, said: “Marami kaming natatanggap na information na vino-volunteer sa atin. Magkakaiba sila ng interpretation plus ‘yung sa atin iba rin. So, ‘yung mga observations na ito kailangan pa ng masusing pag-aralan dahil maraming inconsistencies sa datos,” (We receive a lot of information volunteered to us. They have different interpretations, ours is different too. So these observations need to be studied carefully because there are many inconsistencies in their data.) She noted that data obtained from satellite technology were not real-time information. Though it remains useful, concerned organizations only release these kinds of data every two weeks upon request. “Yung satellite information, magkakaiba ng interpretation lahat ng experts, walang isang nagtugma na interpretation,” she added. (Experts each interprets satellite information differently, they don’t agree on one interpretation.) But Solidum said contradicting sets of data are normal as there are correcting instruments being used to arrive at the final measurements. On satellite data, he said, “Depende ‘yan kung kelan kinuha at ano ‘yung kinukumparahan na image no’ng satellite na ‘yon... So, ang pinakamaganda ano ang pinakalatest, and of course, ‘yon ngang GPS data.” (It depends when the satellite image was taken and the image it’s being compared to. So the best is whatever’s the latest, and of course, that’s GPS data.) Global Positioning System (GPS), according to experts, is another type of satellite navigation system used to determine the ground position of an object. A basic example is the installed GPS tracking device of vehicles that provides the exact location for every movement. “Kapag may slight movement like deformation, inflation or any kind of displacement, mare-record ‘yon ng GPS,” a Filipino geologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) told the Manila Bulletin. In the case of Taal, Phivolcs has installed five GPS stations around the Volcano Island to closely monitor its activity on a real-time basis unlike through satellite. “Ang maganda lamang po sa ating datos ay ito pong mga datos na ito ay sukat sa ground mismo, hindi po sya satellite-based. Kaya’t batay po sa ating nakakalap na data sa ating mga instrumento sa lupa, pwede po nating tignan kung yung mga vinovolunteer sa ating information ay acceptable o hindi kasi ito yung talagang sukat sa lupa,” Bornas said. An expert also said that volcanology, as a field of expertise, requires multi-perspective dimensions to master the science behind it. Apart from satellite technology and GPS, it also demands field data, gas measurements, among others.