Small eruptions on Mount Chaparrastique, El Salvador.

The Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales has reported a pair of small eruptions on Mount Chaparrastique, or San Miguel, a 2130 m stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) in east-central El Salvador. The first event occurred slightly after 4.50 pm local time on Sunday 14 January 2018, the second a day later at about 4.15 pm local time on Monday 15 January. Both produced small plumes that rose less than 300 m above the summit of the volcano. 

The approximate location of Mount Chaparrastique. Google Maps.

El Salvador, and neighbouring Central American states, lies on the Caribbean Plate. To the south of Central America the Coccos Plate, which underlies an area of the east Pacific, is being subducted beneath the Caribbean Plate along the Middle American Trench. As the plate is subducted it is partially melted by the friction and the heat of the planet's interior, giving rise to liquid magma which rises through the Caribbean Plate to fuel the volcanoes of Central America.

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Activity on Mount Chaparrastique, El Savador.

The Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales in El Salvador recorded the first in a series of Earthquakes beneath Mount Chaparrastique, a volcano in the east of the country, on 22 December 2015. Earthquakes beneath volcanoes are of great interest to volcanologists, as they may indicate the movement of magma into chambers beneath the volcano, which may in turn be indicative of forthcoming eruptions. The level of seismic activity beneath the volcano increased through the reaminder of December and the first two weeks of January 2016, culminating in a series of ash and gas emissions on Wednesday 13 January, when the volcano began to produce a series of thin plumes of ash and gas. The largest of these so far reaches a height of about 1.2-1.5 km at about 5.20 am local time on Thursday 14 January, though they are ongoing.

A thin ash plume over Mount Chaparrastique on Saturday 16 January 2016. Josué Serpas/La Presna Grafica.

El Salvador, and neighbouring Central American states, lie on the Caribbean Plate. To the south of Central America the Coccos Plate, which underlies an area of the east Pacific, is being subducted beneath the Caribbean Plate along the Middle American Trench. As the plate is subducted it is partially melted by the friction and the heat of the planet's interior, giving rise to liquid magma which rises through the Caribbean Plate to fuel the volcanoes of Central America.

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One dead after Central American Earthquake.                                                  The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake at a depth of 40 km, roughly 67 km offshore of the Nicaraguan coastal resort...

Volcanic activity on Chaparrastique provokes evacuations.                                               About 1400 people have been evacuated from villages near Chaparrastique, a 2141 m volcano in eastern El Salvador, following increased seismic activity in the past week. A series of Earthquakes...

Thousands evacuated after eruption on Mount Chaparrastique, El Salvador.      Authorities in El Salvador have evacuated around 5000 people from a 3 km exclusion zone around Mount Chaparrastique, a volcano in the east of the...

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Volcanic activity on Chaparrastique provokes evacuations.

About 1400 people have been evacuated from villages near Chaparrastique, a 2141 m volcano in eastern El Salvador, following increased seismic activity in the past week. A series of Earthquakes over the weekend was followed by a small explosive eruption on Monday 19 May 2014, and the production of a small column of reddish ash.

Smoke over Mount Chaparrastique on Monday 19 May 2014. Ulises Rodriguez/Reuters.

El Salvador, and neighbouring Central American states, lies on the Caribbean Plate. To the south of Central America the Coccos Plate, which underlies an area of the east Pacific, is being subducted beneath the Caribbean Plate along the Middle American Trench. As the plate is subducted it is partially melted by the friction and the heat of the planet's interior, giving rise to liquid magma which rises through the Caribbean Plate to fuel the volcanoes of Central America.

The approximate location of Mount Chaparrastique. Google Maps.

See also...

 Thousands evacuated after eruption on Mount Chaparrastique, El Salvador.

Authorities in El Salvador have evacuated around 5000 people from...

 Eruption on Mount Telica, Nicaragua.

A small explosion to place on Mount Telica in northwest Nicaragua at about 6.50 am local time (about 12.50 pm GMT) on Wednesday 25 September 2013, producing an ash column approximately 1.5 km...


 Pyroclastic flow and ash column on Mount Fuego, Guatemala.

The Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia in Guatemala report a pyroclastic flow (avalanche of hot ash, rock and gas) on Mount Fuego, an active volcano in the south of...


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Thousands evacuated after eruption on Mount Chaparrastique, El Salvador.

Authorities in El Salvador have evacuated around 5000 people from a 3 km exclusion zone around Mount Chaparrastique, a volcano in the east of the country, following an explosive eruption at about 10.30 am local time (4.30 pm GMT) on Sunday 29 December 2013 that produced an ash column 5 km high and rained ash on nearby towns and coffee plantations.

Ash column over Mount Chaparrastique on 29 December 2013, seen from the city of San Miguel, about 15 km to the northeast of the volcano. AFP.

El Salvador, and neighbouring Central American states, lies on the Caribbean Plate. To the south of Central America the Coccos Plate, which underlies an area of the east Pacific, is being subducted beneath the Caribbean Plate along the Middle American Trench. As the plate is subducted it is partially melted by the friction and the heat of the planet's interior, giving rise to liquid magma which rises through the Caribbean Plate to fuel the volcanoes of Central America.

The approximate location of Mount Chaparrastique. Google Maps.

See also Eruption on Mount Telica, Nicaragua, Pyroclastic flow and ash column on Mount Fuego, Guatemala, Seismic activity on Mount Momotombo in western Nicaragua, Magnitude 6.2 Earthquake beneath Guatemala and Eruption on Mount Pacaya.

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