Central America
What tectonic plate is El Salvador on?
El Salvador sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 17
- Holocene volcanoes
- 17
- Land area
- 20,392 km²
Plates under El Salvador
Share of El Salvador's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along El Salvador: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Caribbean-Cocos boundary (convergent, about 7.6 cm/yr) and the Cocos-North American boundary (convergent, about 6.2 cm/yr).
- Caribbean and North American: transform, 1.7 cm/yr
- Caribbean and Cocos: convergent, 7.6 cm/yr
- Cocos and North American: convergent, 6.2 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Caribbean-Cocos boundary, where the plates move about 7.6 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in El Salvador
El Salvador has frequent large earthquakes: 17 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 36 of 213).
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 km NW of Chalatenango, El Salvador | M7.7 | 1915 | 15 km | Caribbean |
| 28 km SSW of Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador | M7.7 | 2001 | 60 km | Caribbean |
| 126 km S of Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador | M7.3 | 2012 | 28 km | Caribbean |
| 74 km S of Intipucá, El Salvadortsunami | M7.3 | 2014 | 40 km | Caribbean |
| 18 km SSW of La Libertad, El Salvador | M7.3 | 1982 | 73 km | Caribbean |
| 113 km SSW of Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador | M7.1 | 1926 | 20 km | Caribbean |
Volcanoes in El Salvador
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 17 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in El Salvador, the 19th most of any country.
- San Miguel Stratovolcano · 2,130 m Last eruption 2023
- Santa Ana Stratovolcano · 2,381 m Last eruption 2005
- Izalco Stratovolcano · 1,950 m Last eruption 1966
- San Salvador Stratovolcano · 1,893 m Last eruption 1917
- Ilopango Caldera · 450 m Last eruption 1880
- Chingo Stratovolcano · 1,775 m Last eruption Unknown
- Singuil, Cerro Volcanic field · 926 m Last eruption Unknown
- Apaneca Range Stratovolcano(es) · 2,028 m Last eruption Unknown
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is El Salvador on?
El Salvador sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
Is El Salvador on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along El Salvador: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Caribbean-Cocos boundary (convergent, about 7.6 cm/yr) and the Cocos-North American boundary (convergent, about 6.2 cm/yr).
Does El Salvador get earthquakes?
El Salvador has frequent large earthquakes: 17 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 36 of 213). The largest was the M7.7 12 km NW of Chalatenango, El Salvador in 1915.
Are there volcanoes in El Salvador?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 17 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in El Salvador, the 19th most of any country.