Izalco (volcano)

Izalco is a parasitic volcano [1] of the Santa Ana Volcano, which is located in western El Salvador. It is situated on the southern flank of the Santa Ana volcano. Izalco erupted almost continuously from 1770 (when it formed) to 1958 [2] earning it the nickname of "Lighthouse of the Pacific", and experienced a flank eruption in 1966 [3]. During an eruption in 1926, the village of Matazano was buried and 56 people were killed. The formation of the volcano actually occupied highly arable land on the southern slope of the Santa Ana volcano which was used for the production of coffee, cacao and sugar cane [4] A hotel was built on the nearby Cerro Verde to provide accommodation with a view of the erupting volcano, but the volcano ceased to erupt shortly before the hotel was completed.

Today, Izalco experiences only fumarolic activity in the form of rainwater seeping into the volcano and contacting hot rocks, rather than steam emissions from underground gases. The volcano is visited and climbed regularly by tourists to El Salvador via the Cerro Verde National Park and is a national icon of the country, even featured on the 10 colònes bank note (US dollars replaced the colon in 2001, so the bank note is no longer in circulation). The volcano is currently inactive, and since it is a cinder cone volcano, it is unlikely to erupt again

Lava flow of the 1966 flank eruption over the much older lava flow. This image looks towards the south from the slope of Izalco

References

[1]Carr, M.J. and Pontier, N.K., 1981. Evolution of a young parasitic cone towards a mature central vent; Izalco and Santa Ana volcanoes in El Salvador, Central America. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 11: pp 277--292.

[2]Mooser, F., Meyer-Abich, H. and McBirney, A.R., 1958. Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World, VI. International Volcanological Association, Naples, pp 146.

[3]Rose, W.I., Jr. and Stoiber, R.E., 1969. The 1966 eruption of Izalco volcano, El Salvador. J. Geophys. Res., 74: pp 3119--3130.

[4] Sheets P D, 2004. Apocalypse then: social science approaches to volcanism, people, and cultures in the Zapotitan Valley, El Salvador. Rose W. I., Bommer J. J., Lopez D. L., Carr M. J., Major J. J. (eds), Natural Hazards in El Salvador. Bolder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Special Paper 375, pp 109-120

Global Volcanism Program

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