Volcanoes of Galapagos Islands (19)

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The Galapagos Islands in the western Pacific are formed one of the most active hot spots of the world and are similar to the Hawaiian volcanoes. Basaltic eruptions occur every few years.
The islands belong to Ecuador and are a protected nature reserve.

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Significant volcanic eruptions: Galapagos Islands

In historic times, at least 9 volcanoes have been active in Galapagos Islands, including Fernandina, Wolf, and Sierra Negra volcanoes. A total of 66 eruptions have been witnessed and documented since 1797.
The table below lists the most recent volcanic eruptions, significant eruptive episodes or related events in Galapagos Islands since 1900.

Date	Volcano	VEI	Region	Deaths
2024 Mar 2 -	Fernandina SE flank	1	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
2022 Jan 6 - Apr 14	Wolf	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
2020 Jan 12 - Jan 13	Fernandina	0	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
2018 Jun 26 - Aug 23	Sierra Negra Summit crater and NNW flank	2	Isabela Island, Galapagos
2018 Jun 16 - Jun 21	Fernandina	1	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
2017 Sep 4 - Sep 8 ±1 d.	Fernandina SSW caldera rim and La Cumbre crater	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
2015 May 25 - Jul 16	Wolf a fissure on the SE edge of the caldera, on the NE, E, and SE flanks, and within the summit caldera	4	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
2009 Apr 10 - Apr 28 ?	Fernandina SW flank (400 m)	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
2008 May 29 - Jun 17	Cerro Azul Summit and SE flank	1?	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
2005 Oct 22 - Oct 30	Sierra Negra North caldera rim	3	Isabela Island, Galapagos
2005 May 13 - May 29 ?	Fernandina South caldera rim	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1998 Sep 15 - Oct 21	Cerro Azul N & W caldera floor, SE flank (630-680 m)	1	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1995 Jan 25 - Apr 8 ?	Fernandina SW flank	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1993 Dec 5 ±20 d.	Alcedo South caldera wall	1	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1991 Sep 25 - Nov 16 ±15 d.	Marchena West to SW caldera rim	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1991 Apr 19 - Apr 24	Fernandina Base of ESE and NW caldera wall	2?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1988 Sep 14 - Sep 16	Fernandina East caldera wall	2?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1984 Mar 30	Fernandina NW corner of caldera	1	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1982 Aug 28 - Sep 6 ?	Wolf Caldera and SE flank (875 m)	1	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1981 Aug 1 ±270 d.	Fernandina South caldera rim	0	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1979 Nov 13 - 1980 Jan 14 or later	Sierra Negra Upper NW and NE flanks (Volcán Chico)	3	Isabela Island, Galapagos
1979 Jan 29 - Mar 4 or later	Cerro Azul East flank (300 m) and summit	2?	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1978 Aug 8 - Aug 26	Fernandina NW caldera bench	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1977 Mar 23 - Mar 27	Fernandina SE caldera bench	1	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1973 Dec 9 - Dec 16 ±1 d.	Fernandina ESE caldera wall	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1972 Jun 4 ±45 d.	Fernandina SE caldera bench	0	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1968 Jun 11 - Jul 4 or before	Fernandina West caldera wall	4	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1968 May 21 - May 23 ±1 d.	Fernandina ESE flank (600 m)	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1963 Apr 13 - May 16 ±15 d.	Sierra Negra Volcán Chico area & NW caldera rim	2	Isabela Island, Galapagos
1963 Mar 4 - Mar 16 or later	Wolf SE flank (610 m)	0	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1961 Mar 21 ±1 d. - Sep 16 ±15 d.	Fernandina SE flank	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1959 Jun 29 - Jul 31 ?	Cerro Azul East flank	2?	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1958 Sep 16 ±15 d. - Dec 30 or later	Fernandina SE, SW and west caldera rim	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1953 Aug 27 - 1954 Jan 16 ±15 d.	Sierra Negra Volcán Chico area & NW caldera rim	3?	Isabela Island, Galapagos
1953 ±7 y.	Alcedo SE flank near Cartago Bay	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1951 Jul 2 ±182 d.	Cerro Azul	?	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1948 Aug - 1949 Feb	Sierra Negra	2	Isabela Island, Galapagos
1949 ?	Cerro Azul	?	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1948 Jun 30 ±30 d.	Cerro Azul	?	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1948 Jan 24 - Jan 31 or later	Wolf SE flank (1200 m)	2	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1943 Apr 13 ±2 d. - May 11 ?	Cerro Azul Caldera ring fracture	3	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1943 Apr 13 (eruption 1943 Apr 13 ±2 d. - May 11 ?)	Cerro Azul	3	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)	1	Info
1943 Apr 13: P-39 fighter pilot from WW-II Galapagos air base crashed when flying over eruption. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1940	Cerro Azul East flank (Cerro de Las Animas)	?	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1938	Wolf	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1937 Mar - Apr	Fernandina	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1935 Feb	Wolf	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1933	Wolf	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1932	Cerro Azul	1?	Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
1927 Dec 13 or before	Fernandina South flank near Punta Mangle	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1928	Pinta	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1925 Apr 11 - 1926 Mar 26 or later	Wolf ESE flank	1	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1926	Fernandina	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1917 May 14	Fernandina Cape Hammond (SW flank)	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
1911 Dec 31 ±365 d.	Sierra Negra	?	Isabela Island, Galapagos
1904 - 1906 Dec 15 ±45 d.	Santiago SE flank	?	Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Galapagos Islands FAQ

+When was the last volcanic eruption in Galapagos Islands?

The last volcanic eruption in Galapagos Islands was from Fernandina volcano in 2024.

+When was the first documented volcanic eruption in Galapagos Islands?

The first historically documented eruption occurred 1797 from Wolf volcano.

+How often do volcanoes in Galapagos Islands erupt?

Since 1797, Galapagos Islands has seen at least 66 historically documented eruptions. This means that a volcano erupts on average every 3.5 years.

+How active are the volcanoes in Galapagos Islands?

Galapagos Islands is volcanically relatively active: Since 1900, at least 8 volcanoes in Galapagos Islands have been active.Since 1900, Galapagos Islands has had 54 volcanic eruptions from 8 individual volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions have been recorded erupted during 49 years out of 126 as of now. This means, at least one volcano in Galapagos Islands has been in eruption in one in 2.6 years on average. The last volcano to erupt in Galapagos Islands was Fernandina volcano, which erupted in 2024, 12 months ago.

+When was the largest volcanic eruption in Galapagos Islands?

The largest eruption in Galapagos Islands in historic times was from Wolf volcano. It occurred in 2015. It ranks as a sub-plinian eruption with a magnitude 4 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

Volcano List

Alcedo

(Shield volcano 1130 m / 3,707 ft)

[more info]

Cerro Azul

(Shield volcano 1640 m / 5,381 ft)

Cerro Azul volcano a basaltic shield volcano on the SW part of Isabela Island in the Galápagos Islands. It has the same name as Cerro Azul volcano in Chile, meaning "Blue Mountain" in Spanish.
Cerro Azul is one of the most active volcanoes of ... [more info]

Culpepper

(Shield 168 m / 551 ft)

[more info]

Darwin

(Shield volcano 1330 m / 4,363 ft)

[more info]

Ecuador

(Shield volcano 790+ m / 2,592 ft)

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Fernandina

(Shield volcano 1476 m / 4,842 ft)

The Fernandina caldera seen on July 4, 1968, about three weeks after a major explosive eruption that was followed by collapse of the caldera floor. Collapse occurred incrementally and asymmetrically, ranging up to about 350 m at the SE end of the caldera, which contains the caldera lake. Photo by Tom Simkin, 1968 (Smithsonian Institution).

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Floreana

(Shield 640 m / 2100 ft)

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Genovesa

(Shield volcano 64 m / 210 ft)

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Marchena

(Shield volcano 343 m / 1,125 ft)

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Pinta

(Shield volcano 780 m / 2,559 ft)

[more info]

Pinzon

(Shield 458 m / 1503 ft)

[more info]

Rabida

(Lava dome(s) 338 m / 1109 ft)

[more info]

Roca Redonda

(Shield 67 m / 220 ft)

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Santa Cruz

(Shield volcano 864 m / 2,835 ft)

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Santa Fe

(Shield volcano 200? m / 656 ft)

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Santiago

(Shield volcano 920 m / 3,018 ft)

[more info]

Sierra Negra

(shield volcano 1124 m / 3687 ft)

Sierra Negra is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in the Galapagos Islands. A typical shield volcano, it has an oval caldera, which measures 9 km east-west and 7 km north-south. It has produced at least 10 eruptions in historical times, with an average resting period o... [more info]

Wenman

(Shield 253 m / 830 ft)

[more info]

Wolf

(Shield volcano 1710 m / 5,610 ft)

Volcán Wolf, straddling the equator on the northern end of Isabela Island is the highest volcano of the Galápagos archipelago. The 1710-m-high volcano has steeper slopes than most other Isabela volcanoes, reaching angles up to 35 degrees. [more info]

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Fernandina volcano - Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 15 May-21 May 2024 (Continuing Activity)

Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG-EPN) reported that the eruption at Fernandina likely ended on 8 May. Daily thermal anomalies from the cooling lava flows on the SSE flank were identified in satellite images during 14-21 May. The number and intensity of the thermal anomalies were variable but decreased overall and were low by the end of the week. ... Read all

Thu, 23 May 2024, 02:43