Awakening? 7.4 Mexico earthquake sets off seismic swarm at San Salvador volcano

March 22, 2012 – SAN SALVADOR – The National Service of Territorial Studies, which is known as SNET is reporting that 8 earthquakes have rattled the San Salvador Volcano which is located northwest of the capital city of San Salvador- a population of about 540,000 people. An emergency declaration has been declared at the volcano as a precautionary measure. The eight tremors felt by the population have reached levels of between 2.2 and 3.3 degrees on the Richter scale, according to the National Service of Territorial Studies (SNET), which has also recorded at least 25 micro-earthquakes. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in a statement recalled that the last seismic swarm with epicenter in the San Salvador volcano was in 2007, when there were 142 micro-earthquakes, four of them felt by the population. The volcano last erupted in 1917. The volcano is believed to have sprung to life after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico. According to the National Seismological Service (SSN), the massive Mexico earthquake unleashed more than 44 aftershocks as of Wednesday. Of the aftershocks recorded by the country, six were over 5.0 + magnitude on the Richer scale and 25 were of a 4.0 magnitude, with the rest 3.0 or smaller. Apart from the string of earthquakes in San Salvador, today SNET reported another quake of 4.3 on the Richter scale at 11.26 local time (17.26 GMT) in the Pacific Ocean, about 43 kilometers south of the estuary San Diego, in the department of La Libertad. This other quake had a focal depth of 34 miles and reached an intensity of three on the Mercalli scale in San Salvador. The Salvadoran authorities have reported no casualties or damage resulting from earthquakes. –Univision  (translation)