Taal Volcano erupted on January 12, causing multiple earthquakes, lava fountains and a huge lightning-flecked cloud, as clouds of ash were blown as far as 65km north to Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has announced a Alert Level 4, indicating “a hazardous explosion within hours or days”. It has also urged the evacuation of areas within 14km of the volcano.
The graphic below shows how the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates causes volcanoes to be formed, and what triggers a volcanic eruption.