Overview
- Reports of steaming holes in El Salitre began on Monday, May 25, when residents found hot fluid and vapor issuing from a yard and nearby ground.
- A joint inspection led by UNAM with Universidad Michoacana, Cenapred and Protección Civil on May 27 found 11 active pits and concluded the features are surface hydrothermal manifestations, not the birth of a volcano.
- Field measurements recorded temperatures near 86°C and trace amounts of carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, creating local hazards of burns, unstable ground and toxic gas exposure.
- Authorities set a roughly 30‑metre security perimeter, evacuated nearby people and animals in one report, and have warned residents to stay away from vents, watch for ground cracks and report changes to Protección Civil.
- Scientists link the activity to the Ixtlán fault within the Trans‑Mexican Volcanic Belt, note similar events in 2017 and earlier, and say the site offers a chance to study regional geothermal flow while ongoing monitoring continues.