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El Salvador · Stratovolcano

San Salvador Volcano

San Salvador

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
1893m
Last eruption
1917
San Salvador Volcano
Photo: Rick Wunderman, Smithsonian Institution · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
El Salvador
Region
Middle America & Caribbean / Central America Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1893m
Coordinates
13.734, -89.294
Last eruption
1917
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic andesite

Geological summary

The massive compound San Salvador volcano dominates the landscape W of El Salvador's capital city of San Salvador.

Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →

From Wikipedia

The San Salvador Volcano is a stratovolcano situated northwest to the city of San Salvador. The crater has been nearly filled with a relatively newer edifice, the Boquerón volcano. San Salvador is adjacent to the volcano and the western section of the city actually lies among its slopes. Due to this close proximity, any geological activity of the volcano, whether eruptive or not, has the potential to result in catastrophic destruction and death to the city. Despite this, the volcano is iconic of the city, and several TV and radio antennas are situated on the El Picacho peaks and the crater of Boqueron. El Picacho, the prominent peak is the highest elevation.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

6 recordedGlossary

Record summary

Confirmed eruptions
5
Uncertain eruptions
1
Span of confirmed record
640 (±30 yrs) – 1917
Largest confirmed eruption
VEI 4 (1200)
Confirmed eruptions since 1900
1
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
640~768 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31151~1279 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 41534~1662 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31789~1917 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 3640895127915341789

Detailed timeline

  1. 1917VEI 3Observed
    1917-06-07 – 1917-11-16
    Boquerón summit and north flank
  2. 1806VEI 0Method not stated
    1806-07-02 – end unknown
    El Playón ?
  3. 1658VEI 3Observed
    1658-11-03 – 1671-08
    NW flank (El Playón)
  4. 1575VEI 3Observed
    1575 – end unknown
    Loma de Grandes Bloques
  5. 1200VEI 4Geological estimate
    1200 – end unknown
    Boquerón
  6. 640 (±30 yrs)VEI 3Geological estimate
    640-08 – end unknown
    NW flank (Loma Caldera)

Nearby volcanoes

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.