World Organization of Volcanic Observatories

1403
El Salvador Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra
UNIVERSIDAD DE EL SALVADOR (UES)
San Salvador
El Salvador, Central América

Faculty & Staff:

Tomas Soriano, Geophysics
Rafael Cartagena, Physics
Rodolfo Olmos, Physics
Francisco Barahona, Physics
Erlinda Handal, Chemistry
Nestor Orellana, Chemistry
Guillermo Morán, Geology
Efraín Benítes, Physics
Benancio Henriquez, Physics

 

National Collaborators:

Geotérmica Salvadoreña, S.A. de C.V. (GESAL)
Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales (SNET)
Policía Nacional Civil (PNC)

External Advisors and Collaborators:

Dina López, Ohio University (USA)
Nemesio M. Pérez, ITER (Canary Islands, Spain)
José M. L. Salazar, ITER (Canary Islands, Spain)
Pedro A. Hernández, ITER (Canary Islands, Spain)
Joan Marti, CSIC (Barcelona, Spain)
José Fernández, CSIC (Madrid, Spain)
Alfonso Maldonado, UPM (Madrid, Spain)
Kenji Notsu, The University of Tokyo (Japan)
Toshiya Mori, The Univeristy of Tokyo (Japan)
Loui Pastor, The University of Paris VII et Marie Curie (France)
Spanish AID Agency (AECI, Spain)

The major goals of the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of El Salvador (UES) is to promote (1) the advance of the Earth Sciences in the UES higher education program, and (2) natural disaster research activities in El Salvador.

After El Salvador’s devastating earthquakes of January 13 and February 13, 2001, the UES asked for the scientific cooperation of the Institute of Technology and Renewable Energy (Canary Islands, Spain) to the Spanish AIDAgency (AECI). The main goal of this Spanish Scientific Cooperation was to provide a multidisciplinary approach for the seismic-volcanic monitoring program in El Salvador by means of establishing a geochemical monitoring program which includes continuous and discrete measurements.

UES Geochemical Monitoring Program

(1) Continuous Geochemical Monitoring Network
The Spanish AIDAgency donated to El Salvador Government 6 geochemical monitoring stations to set up a continuos geochemical monitoring network to improve and optimize the seismic-volcanic surveillance at El Salvador. This network consists of: a) 2 continuous monitoring geochemical stations to measure diffuse soil fluxes of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide using accumulation chambers as well as infrared and electrochemical sensors, b) 2 continuous monitoring geochemical stations to measure diffuse soil fluxes of carbon dioxide using accumulation chambers and infrared sensors, and c) 2 continuous monitoring geochemical stations to measure dissolved gas radon concentrations using alpha spectrometry. An additional ITER’s geochemical station for continuous monitoring of fumarole gas radon is part of the El Salvador Geochemical Monitoring Network.

These geochemical stations are located in the following volcanic systems:

• Santa Ana-Izalco-Coatepeque volcanic system
  (a) Continuous monitoring of diffuse CO₂ emission and meteorological parameters at Cerro Pacho, Coatepeque caldera
• San Salvador volcano
  (a) Continuous monitoring of diffuse CO₂ and H₂S emission and meteorological parameters at Cerro La Hoya, SE flank of San Salvador volcano
  (b) Continuous monitoring of dissolved gas ²²²Rn in ground waters of Pasaje Verde’s well, southeast flank of San Salvador volcano
• San Vicente volcano
  (a) Continuous monitoring of diffuse CO₂ and H₂S emission and meteorological parameters at Aguas Agrias, northwest flank of San Vicente volcano
• Tecapa volcanic system
  (a) Continuous monitoring of fumarolic gas ²²²Rn at El Tronadorcito, Berlin Geothermal Field
• San Miguel volcano
  (a) Continuous monitoring of diffuse CO₂ emission and meteorological parameters at the E flank of San Miguel volcano
  (b) Continuous monitoring of dissolved gas ²²²Rn in ground waters of La Belen’s well, San Miguel City.

(2) Discrete Geochemical Monitoring Program
Discrete geochemical monitoring are applied to the following volcanic systems:

• Santa Ana-Izalco-Coatepeque volcanic system
  (a) Diffuse CO₂ degassing survey at the summit crater of Santa Ana volcano (1/year)
  (b) Fumarole gas sampling at the summit crater of Santa Ana volcano as well as Cerro Pacho at Coatepeque caldera (1/month)
  (c) Plume gas sampling for Cl/S ratio monitoring by means of alkaline traps
  (1 month)
• San Salvador volcano
  (a) Diffuse CO₂ degassing survey at the summit crater of San Salvador volcano (1/year)
  (b) Fumarole gas sampling at Cerro La Hoya (1/month)
• Ilopango caldera
  (a) Diffuse CO₂ degassing survey in the southwestern part of Ilopango caldera (1/year)
• San Vicente volcano
  (a) Fumarole gas sampling at Aguas Agrias (1/month)
• Tecapa volcanic system
  (a) Diffuse CO₂ degassing survey at Laguna de Alegría crater (1/year)
  (b) Fumarole gas sampling at Laguna de Alegría crater (1/month)
• San Miguel volcano
  (a) Diffuse CO₂ degassing survey at a selected area in the W flank of San Miguel volcano (1/year)
  (b) Fumarole gas sampling at Las Placitas (1/month)
  (c) Volcanic ash leachate analysis for Cl/S plume ratio monitoring

UES Geophysical Monitoring Program

(1) Continuous Geophysical Monitoring Network

• Santa Ana-Izalco-Coatepeque volcanic system
  (a) Continuous monitoring of soil temperature at Cerro Pacho, Coatepeque caldera
• San Salvador volcano
  (a) Continuous monitoring of soil temperature at Cerro La Hoya, SE flank of San Salvador volcano
• San Vicente volcano
  (a) Continuous monitoring of soil temperature at Aguas Agrias, northwest flank of San Vicente volcano
• San Miguel volcano
  (a) Continuous monitoring of soil temperature at the E flank of San Miguel volcano

(2) Discrete Geophysical Monitoring Program
Heat flow studies

• Santa Ana-Izalco-Coatepeque volcanic system
  (a) Surface gradiente temperatura survey at the summit crater of Santa Ana volcano (1/year)
  (b) Outlet fumarole temperature at the summit crater of Santa Ana volcano (1/month)
• San Salvador volcano
  (a) Surface gradiente temperatura survey at the summit crater of San Salvador volcano (1/year)
• Ilopango caldera
  (a) Surface gradiente temperatura survey in the southwestern part of Ilopango caldera (1/year)
• San Vicente volcano
  (a) Outlet fumarole temperature at Aguas Agrias (1/month)
• Tecapa volcanic system
  (a) Surface gradiente temperatura survey at Laguna de Alegría crater (1/year)
• San Miguel volcano
  (a) Surface gradiente temperatura survey at a selected area in the W flank of San Miguel volcano (1/year)
  (b) Outlet fumarole temperature at Las Placitas (1/month)