Apaneca Range steam eruption triggers evacuations and damages infrastructure
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · May 5
Apaneca Range steam eruption triggers evacuations and damages infrastructure
5 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · May 5
The blast occurred near a popular hot springs facility in western El Salvador, close to Ahuachapán, in 2025.
The area shows persistent geothermal activity, including fumaroles, hot springs and steam vents, despite no recorded Holocene eruptions in the Apaneca Range.
The volcanic zone also hosts the Ahuachapán Geothermal Power Plant, operating since 1975, while nearby Santa Ana remains active and deadly steam explosions have struck the region before.
Can El Salvador's volcano-powered tech dream survive the unstable ground it is built on?
As tourists flock to its active volcanoes, what is the unstated price of ensuring their safety?
Is El Salvador's green energy push a model for progress or a cover for its human rights crisis?