Report on San Miguel (El Salvador) — 14 December-20 December 2022
Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 14 December-20 December 2022
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2022. Report on San Miguel (El Salvador) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 14 December-20 December 2022. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
San Miguel
El Salvador
13.434°N, 88.269°W; summit elev. 2130 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
On 14 December MARN reported that activity at San Miguel continued to decrease. They noted that there were no major changes to seismicity and gas emissions, though minor explosions were occasionally detected by the seismic network and manifested as small gas emissions. Sulfur dioxide emissions were below the baseline of 300 tons per day.
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: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN)