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Report on San Miguel (El Salvador) — 11 January-17 January 2023


San Miguel

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 11 January-17 January 2023
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2023. Report on San Miguel (El Salvador) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 11 January-17 January 2023. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (11 January-17 January 2023)

San Miguel

El Salvador

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

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


On 14 January MARN reported that a gradual decrease in activity to low levels had been recorded at San Miguel since 1 December 2022. Sulfur dioxide emissions were below the baseline of 300 tons per day and no deformation was detected. Minor emissions and occasional explosions of gas and ash continued to be recorded by the seismic network and were occasionally visible. At 0817 on 14 January a gas-and-ash emission was seen in webcam images rising just over the crater rim.

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)