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The world’s smallest “dormant” volcano is Cuexcomate which can be found in Mexico. It measures 13 meter in height and 23 meters in diameter. On the other hand, the world’s smallest “active” volcano is Taal Volcano which can be found in Luzon, the biggest island in the Philippines. 

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This volcano is also one of the “16 Decade Volcanoes” identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI). It is an international association which focuses on volcano research with primary objective of minimizing volcanic disasters and to fully comprehend the behavior of volcanoes.   

With an elevation of 400 meters, Taal Volcano is also one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines. Thirty three (33) eruptions were recorded since 1572 and its last eruption was in 1977. Seismic activities have been recorded since 1991. In fact, “Alert Level 1” was declared by Philippine authorities June of this year which warns the public especially tourists from visiting Taal’s main crater.

Taal Volcano is surrounded by a beautiful lake (Taal Lake) which is situated within its caldera. A caldera is caused by a powerful eruption resulting to the collapse of the center of the volcano’s edifice. The collapse will yield deep depression around the crater which will eventually transform into a lake as rain water fill-up the caldera.

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Because of this geological formation, Taal’s crater looks like an island within a lake. The crater island is also called Volcano Island. Another lake, called Crater Lake, can be found inside Volcano Island. It measures 2 kilometers across and is also referred to as “a lake within a lake”. It does not stop there, within Crater Lake can be found another volcanic island called Vulcan Point… which is “the world’s largest volcanic island within a lake on an island within a lake on an island”.

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