Coatepeque Caldera

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Coatepeque Caldera
Aerial view of Lago Coatepeque
Elevation	746 m (2,448 ft)
Location	El Salvador
Coordinates	13.87° N 89.55° W
Type	Caldera
Last eruption	Unknown

Lago de Coatepeque
Coordinates	13.87° N 89.55° WCoordinates: 13.87° N 89.55° W
Lake type	crater lake
Basin countries	El Salvador
Surface area	26 km²
Islands	Teopan

Coatepeque Caldera (Nahuatl cōātepēc, "at the snake hill") is a volcanic caldera in El Salvador in Central America. The caldera was formed during a series of major rhyolitic explosive eruptions between about 72,000 and 57,000 years ago. Since then, basaltic cinder cones and lava flows formed near the west edge of the caldera, and six rhyodacitic lava domes have formed. The youngest dome, Cerro Pacho, formed after 8000 BC.

[edit] Lago de Coatepeque

Lago de Coatepeque (Lake Coatepeque) is a large crater lake in the east part of the Coatepeque Caldera. It is in Coatepeque municipality, Santa Ana, El Salvador. There are hot springs near the lake margins. At 26 km², it is one of the largest lakes in El Salvador. In the lake is the island of Teopan, which was a Mayan site of some importance.