Chinameca (also known as El Pacayal) is a stratovolcano in central-eastern El Salvador. It lies north of San Miguel volcano and rises over the town of Chinameca. The volcano is topped by a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) wide caldera known as Laguna Seca el Pacayal, and a satellite cone on the west side, Cerro el Limbo, rises higher than the caldera rim. Fumaroles can be found on the north side, and it has been the site of a geothermal exploration program.
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The Central American Volcanic Arc (often abbreviated to CAVA) is a chain of volcanoes which extends parallel to the Pacific coastline of the Central American Isthmus, from Mexico to Panama. This volcanic arc, which has a length of 1,100 kilometers (680 mi) is formed by an active subduction zone, with the Cocos plate subducting underneath the Caribbean plate, the North American plate and the Panama plate. Volcanic activity is recorded in the Central American region since the Permian. Numerous volcanoes are spread throughout various Central American countries; many have been active in the geologic past, varying in intensity of their activity according to different factors.