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Galapagos Islands Volcanos Find Cheap Airline Tickets to the Galapagos Islands here The volcanic set up of the Islands can be explained by looking at the theories of Plate Tectonics and the Hot Spot. The platform where the islands started their volcanic growth lies right on top of the Nazca Plate. The plate neighbors with the Cocos and Pacific Plates, and moves towards the South American continent, and thus "carries" the Islands on top. The rate of movement (call it Island speed) is about 7 cm/year. See Some Facts on Galapagos Islands Underneath certain plates there are concentrations of molten rock, called Hot Spots in Galapagos Geology These forces create Islands in the middle of the ocean, just like Iceland, Azores, Canary, and the closest example, Hawaii. As the plates move in one direction, and over time, a chain of islands will be formed. These Islands will all be different in terms of age, altitude, and other physical factors like erosion, colonization, etc. In Galapagos, the Islands to the east are older than those located to the west. This implies that the Galapagos Hot Spot is right under the western Islands of Isabela and Fernandina. More About Galapagos Volcano Eruptions As you visit this Archipelago, you will notice how different landscapes are. And more so if you see the opposite Islands from east to west. These differences should be also related to the amazing wildlife diversity found here. Without different ages, animal and plant colonization would have been a standard process. The age of the Galapagos varies, and Islands like Espanola (Hood), Santa Fe (Barrington) and Floreana (Charles) belong the group of older Islands with ages that range 4-5 million years. To the west, we find the youngest rocks on both Isabela (Albermarle) and Fernandina (Narborough), these barely reach a million years. Constant seismic activity, fumaroles, and an occasional large puff of water vapor, are signs of ongoing volcanic processes. Recommended Galapagos Reading:Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands This is the most comprehensive guide to the unique wildlife of the Galapagos, excellent and detailed descriptions of its extraordinary birds, mammals, and reptiles. (Highly recommended) The Diving Guide: Galapagos Islands Chasing a Dream in the Galapagos: A Personal Evolution Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6" Display, Latest Generation
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