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El Salvador · Stratovolcano

Izalco

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
1950m
Last eruption
1966
Izalco
Photo: Angela Rucker, USAID · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
El Salvador
Region
Middle America & Caribbean / Central America Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1950m
Coordinates
13.813, -89.633
Last eruption
1966
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic andesite
Geological summary

Volcán de Izalco began growing in 1770 CE on the southern flank of Santa Ana volcano, eventually building a steep 650-m-high stratovolcano truncated by a 250-m-wide summit crater. Frequent Strombolian eruptions during the two centuries prior to the cessation of activity in 1966 provided a night-time beacon for ships, causing it to be known as El Faro, the "Lighthouse of the Pacific." The dominantly basaltic andesite tephra and lava flows are geochemically distinct from those of both Santa Ana and its fissure-controlled flank vents. Lava flows have primarily erupted from flank vents, traveling as far as about 7 km south down the slopes of Santa Ana.

From Wikipedia

Izalco is an active stratovolcano on the side of the Santa Ana Volcano, which is located in western El Salvador. It is situated on the southern flank of the Santa Ana volcano. Izalco erupted almost continuously from 1770 to 1958 earning it the nickname of "Lighthouse of the Pacific", and experienced a flank eruption in 1966. During an eruption in 1926, the village of Matazano was buried and 56 people were killed. The volcano erupted on highly arable land which was used for the production of coffee, cacao, and sugar cane.

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Eruption history

53 recordedGlossary
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
1770~1790 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 21790~1809 · 4 eruptions · max VEI 21809~1829 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 21829~1848 · 4 eruptions · max VEI 21848~1868 · 10 eruptions · max VEI 21868~1888 · 13 eruptions · max VEI 21888~1907 · 5 eruptions · max VEI 21907~1927 · 4 eruptions · max VEI 31927~1946 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 21946~1966 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 317701809186819071946

Detailed timeline

  1. 1966VEI 0Observed
    1966-10-28 – 1966-11-16
    SSE flank (550 m below summit)
  2. 1948VEI 3Observed
    1948-11-04 – 1957-12-01
    Summit, SW and NE flanks
  3. 1939VEI 2Observed
    1939-02-16 – 1948-02-16
    Summit and SSE flank
  4. 1937VEI 2Observed
    1937-07-02 – 1938-07-02
  5. 1933VEI 2Observed
    1933-11-30 – 1934-01-12
  6. 1931VEI 2Observed
    1931-03-31 – end unknown
  7. 1930VEI 0Observed
    1930-04-16 – end unknown
    Outer slope of eastern summit crater
  8. 1927VEI 2Observed
    1927-07-02 – 1928-07-02
  9. 1925VEI 3Observed
    1925-12-26 – 1927-01-16
  10. 1924VEI 2Observed
    1924-03-16 – end unknown
  11. 1920VEI 2Observed
    1920-10-29 – 1921-04-10
    SE flank
  12. 1912VEI 2Observed
    1912-01-16 – 1916-01-26
    Summit and NE flank
  13. 1903VEI 2Observed
    1903-11-16 – 1905-03-16
    Summit and east flank
  14. 1902VEI 2Observed
    1902-05-10 – 1902-12-30
    Summit and NE flank
  15. 1899VEI 2Observed
    1899-12-31 – 1900-03-16
  16. 1891VEI 2Observed
    1891-07-02 – 1898-07-16
  17. 1890VEI 0Observed
    1890-03-26 – 1890-04-20
    Summit and upper east flank
  18. 1887VEI 2Observed
    1887-07-02 – 1889-07-02
  19. 1885VEI 2Observed
    1885-07-02 – end unknown
  20. 1884VEI 2Observed
    1884-03-09 – 1884-03-10
  21. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883-09-05 – 1883-11-13
  22. 1882VEI 2Observed
    1882-07-12 – end unknown
  23. 1881VEI 0Observed
    1881-01-01 – end unknown
  24. 1879VEI 2Observed
    1879-12-25 – 1880-03-16
  25. 1878VEI ?Observed
    1878-07-02 – end unknown
  26. 1874VEI ?Method not stated
    1874-07-02 – 1875-07-02
  27. 1872VEI 2Observed
    1872-12-16 – 1873-03-19
  28. 1870VEI 2Method not stated
    1870-05-19 – end unknown
  29. 1869VEI 2Observed
    1869-03-01 – 1869-06-18
    Summit and east flank
  30. 1868VEI 2Observed
    1868-02-16 – 1868-02-17
  31. 1867VEI 2Observed
    1867-04-16 – 1867-08-16
  32. 1866VEI 2Observed
    1866-04-27 – 1866-08-15
  33. 1864VEI 2Observed
    1864-05-15 – 1865-06-15
    Summit and NE flank
  34. 1863VEI 0Observed
    1863-07-02 – end unknown
  35. 1859VEI 0Observed
    1859-12-08 – 1860-01-22
  36. 1858VEI 2Observed
    1858-02-06 – 1859-07-16
  37. 1857VEI 2Observed
    1857-02-15 – 1857-02-19
  38. 1856VEI 2Observed
    1856-05-24 – 1856-09-01
    Summit and south flank
  39. 1854VEI 2Observed
    1854-05-13 – 1854-06-08
  40. 1850VEI 2Observed
    1850-07-02 – end unknown
  41. 1844VEI 2Observed
    1844-06-16 – 1844-10-16
  42. 1842VEI 2Observed
    1842-07-02 – end unknown
  43. 1838VEI 2Observed
    1838-07-02 – 1840-07-02
  44. 1836VEI 2Observed
    1836-07-02 – end unknown
  45. 1825VEI 2Observed
    1825-07-02 – end unknown
  46. 1817VEI 2Observed
    1817-07-02 – end unknown
  47. 1805VEI 2Observed
    1805-07-02 – 1807-07-02
  48. 1802VEI 2Observed
    1802-07-02 – 1803-07-02
  49. 1798VEI 2Observed
    1798-04 – end unknown
  50. 1793VEI 2Observed
    1793-03-29 – 1793-09
  51. 1783VEI 0Observed
    1783-07 – end unknown
  52. 1772VEI 2Observed
    1772 – end unknown
  53. 1770VEI 2Observed
    1770-02-23 – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

External links

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