Lake Ilopango
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| Lake Ilopango | |
|---|---|
 Lake Ilopango seen from Santiago Texacuangos |
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| Elevation | 450 m (1,476 ft) |
| Location | El Salvador |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | Caldera |
| Last eruption | 1880 |
Lake Ilopango is a crater lake which fills a scenic 8 x 11 km volcanic caldera in central El Salvador. It is the largest lake in the country and is located immediately east of the capital city, San Salvador. The caldera formed during a cataclysmic eruption in the 5th century AD, which produced widespread pyroclastic flows and devastated Mayan cities. This eruption produced about 25 km³ (6 mi³) of tephra (20 times as much as the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens), thus rating a 6 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.
Later eruptions formed several lava domes within the lake and near its shore. The only historical eruption in 1879–80 produced a lava dome which reached the surface of the lake, forming the islets known as Islas Quemadas.
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