The San Salvador volcano, situated northwest to the capital city of San Salvador, lost thousand meters of height during past megaeruptions.
The Picacho, the highest peak culminating at 1960 meters of altitude, is part of the original profile of the old volcanic structure, which used to measure more than 3,000 meters.
The new results, presented during the Geological Congress of Central America in San Salvador, show that the volcano as it is now is only a remnant of a muh bigger volcanic peak that lost at least 1000 meters in height during cataclysmic volcanic eruptions about 60,000 years ago. El Picacho, the highest peak seen from anywhere in San Salvador, is part of the original profile of the old volcanic structure.
It is believed that during the large eruptions, the cone collapsed and the huge mass of earth fell to the bottom of the volcano and filled part of the magmatic chamber. The rest of the mountain debris rolled down along the flanks of the volcanic peak as observable in Santa Tecla, Antiguo Cuscatlán, Mejicanos, Ayutuxtepeque.
Today, the San Salvador volcano does not have a conical shape similar to almost all volcanoes. The Boquerón crater corresponds to the new volcano that was built inside the old mold that left the old volcano San Salvador, which could have culminated at more than 3,000 meters, according to experts.
