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Country: | El Salvador | |
| Subregion Name: | El Salvador | ||
| Volcano Number: | 1403-10= | ||
| Volcano Type: | Stratovolcano | ||
| Volcano Status: | Historical | ||
| Last Known Eruption: | 2002 | ||
| Summit Elevation: | 2130 m | 6,988 feet | |
| Latitude: | 13.434°N | 13°26'2"N | |
| Longitude: | 88.269°W | 88°16'9"W | |
| The symmetrical cone of San Miguel volcano, one of the most active in El Salvador, rises from near sea level to form one of the country's most prominent landmarks. The unvegetated summit of the 2130-m-high volcano rises above slopes draped with coffee plantations. A broad, deep crater complex that has been frequently modified by historical eruptions (recorded since the early 16th century) caps the truncated summit of the towering volcano, which is also known locally as Chaparrastique. Radial fissures on the flanks of the basaltic-andesitic volcano have fed a series of historical lava flows, including several erupted during the 17th-19th centuries that reached beyond the base of the volcano on the north, NE, and SE sides. The SE-flank lava flows are the largest and form broad, sparsely vegetated lava fields crossed by highways and a railroad skirting the base of the volcano. The location of flank vents has migrated higher on the edifice during historical time, and the most recent activity has consisted of minor ash eruptions from the summit crater. | |||
