Logo link to homepage

Report on San Miguel (El Salvador) — 27 August-2 September 2014


San Miguel

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 27 August-2 September 2014
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2014. Report on San Miguel (El Salvador) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 27 August-2 September 2014. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (27 August-2 September 2014)

San Miguel

El Salvador

13.434°N, 88.269°W; summit elev. 2130 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


On 27 August -2 September SNET reported that seismic activity at San Miguel had decreased significantly from the previous month. Small steam-and-gas plumes did not exceed 200 m above the summit. Views on 29 August were obscured by clouds. On 1 September there was a slight increase in seismicity and gas pulses rose 400 m above the summit.

Geological Summary. The symmetrical cone of San Miguel, one of the most active volcanoes in El Salvador, rises from near sea level to form one of the country's most prominent landmarks. A broad, deep, crater complex that has been frequently modified by eruptions recorded since the early 16th century caps the truncated unvegetated summit, also known locally as Chaparrastique. Flanks eruptions of the basaltic-andesitic volcano have produced many lava flows, including several during the 17th-19th centuries that extended to the N, NE, and SE. The SE-flank flows are the largest and form broad, sparsely vegetated lava fields crossed by highways and a railroad skirting the base of the volcano. Flank vent locations have migrated higher on the edifice during historical time, and the most recent activity has consisted of minor ash eruptions from the summit crater.

Source: Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales (SNET)