Izalco (El Salvador): Recorded Eruptions and Historical Activity

Izalco is a stratovolcano located in El Salvador, standing at an elevation of 1,950 meters within a subduction zone and continental crust tectonic setting. According to official records from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, Izalco has a documented history of 51 confirmed eruptions spanning nearly two centuries, beginning in the 18th century CE and extending through the 20th century CE.

Overview of Recorded Eruptions

The confirmed eruption record for Izalco begins with an initial reported observation on February 23, 1770 CE. Activity continued across subsequent centuries, characterized by reported observations ranging in scale up to a maximum recorded Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 3.0 out of the 50 eruptions with assigned VEI values.

The distribution of confirmed eruptions across centuries includes:

• 18th century CE: 5 eruptions, starting with the initial event on February 23, 1770 CE.
• 19th century CE: 32 eruptions, including activity such as the eruption spanning from June 16, 1844 CE, to October 16, 1844 CE, and another from December 16, 1872 CE, to March 19, 1873 CE.
• 20th century CE: 14 eruptions, featuring larger-scale events such as an eruption with a VEI of 3.0 that occurred from November 4, 1948 CE, to December 1, 1957 CE, affecting the summit as well as the southwest and northeast flanks.

Latest Recorded Activity

The latest recorded eruption in the structured dataset began on October 28, 1966 CE, originating from the southeast flank approximately 550 meters below the summit. This eruption concluded on November 16, 1966 CE, with a VEI of 0.0. The profile's last known eruption year is recorded as 1966.