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 San Miguel volcano (also known locally as Chaparrastique) in eastern El Salvador is a symmetrical stratovolcano and one of the most active volcanoes of the country. It rises majestically from near sea level to 2130 m elevation and forms a prominent land mark.
The volcano's summit lacks vegetation due to frequent eruptions, but its flanks are largely covered with coffee plantations.
San Miguel has a broad, deep crater complex, which has frequently changed morphology during historic eruptions recorded since the early 16th century.
stratovolcano 2130 m / 6,988 ft El Salvador, 13.43°N / -88.27°W Current status: minor activity or eruption warning (3 out of 5) San Miguel webcams / live data | ReportsSan Miguel volcano booksSan Miguel volcano eruptions:2015, 2014, 2013, 2002, 1997, 1995, 1985-86, 1976-77, 1970, 1967, 1966 (Jul), 1966 (Feb), 1964, 1954, 1939, 1936(?), 1931, 1930, 1929, 1919-20, 1890-91, 1884, 1882, 1867-68, 1862, 1857, 1855, 1854(?), 1844-48, 1819, 1811(?), 1798(?), 1787, 1769, 1762, 1699, 1510 ± 5 years Typical eruption style:small to moderate phreatic and phreatomagmatic summit explosions Last earthquakes nearby
Latest satellite images  San Miguel volcano news & activity updatesSan Miguel volcano (El Salvador): new eruptionTuesday Dec 31, 2013 06:21 AM | BY: T 
Eruption plume from today's explosion at San Miguel (photo: La Prensa Grafica)  Ash fall in San Jorge (La Prensa Grafica)  Aqua/MODIS image of the eruption plume from San Miguel in El Salvador, seen on December 29, 2013. Image: NASA, rectified by Nahum Chazarra.  Seismic signal (29 Dec) during the eruption (LYC station, MARN)  Part of the hazard map of San Miguel (MARN) The new eruption that occurred at the volcano Sunday (29 Dec) morning at 10:50 am local time has so far been an isolated single explosion of vulcanian type (accumulated pressure ejecting the plug in the conduit). Current seismic activity is low, but more activity could follow.
The explosion produced an ash plume of considerable (3-8 km) height, reaching estimated altitudes of 5-10 km. Heavy ash fall followed the eruption in nearby areas downwind, such as in the towns of Chinameca and San Jorge to the west. Civil Protection immediately began to evacuate families residing in a radius of 3 km around the volcano. So far, more than 5000 persons have been ordered to evacuate.
The following video from MARN's webcam shows the onset of the powerful explosion, accompanied by a (fortunately only) small pyroclastic flow (starting a 8sec):
The second largest city of the country, San Miguel de la Frontera (approx. 250,000 inhabitants) is located only 7 km NE of the volcano and could be at risk if the eruption continues and starts to produce pyroclastic flows (see hazard map of MARN).
Satellite images showed the plume shortly after the explosion stretching over approx. 150 km length.
Seismic data showed a steep increase in earthquake activity starting at 06:30 local time. After the explosion, seismic activity dropped again, suggesting that ---
Links / Sources: Previous news
Saturday, Apr 06, 2013 Volcanic earthquakes embedded in weak tremor remain frequent. [more] Tuesday, Mar 19, 2013
The volcano has been relatively quiet recently. Only few volcanic quakes, weak tremor and (probably) rockfall signals show up now and then. [more]Thursday, Mar 07, 2013 Seismic unrest (fluctuating, sometimes strong volcanic tremor and earthquakes) continue. Several hot spots are visible on the volcano's flanks, but most likely caused by fires. [more]Tuesday, Feb 05, 2013 Activity has somewhat increased during the past 24 hours, including a pulse of stronger tremor and numerous small volcanic quakes. [more]
Monday, Feb 04, 2013 Tremor has remained at unchanged, weak levels today. [more] More on VolcanoDiscovery: Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres: Much current eruption news is provided by the 9 Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAAC) distributed around the globe. The VAACs provide a vital service for aviation safety.  Volcano & Earthquake news feeds: If you like to use RSS to access the latest news about volcanoes and earthquakes without needing to visit the site, have a look at our available news feeds!  Ubinas activity updates: The most frequently active volcano in Peru entered a new eruptive phase in 2014. Updates and news are regularly posted on this page. |
