A volcano in the Galapagos Islands has erupted for the first time in more than three decades. The archipelago off Ecuador is famous for its unique plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.
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'Wolf' volcano erupts on Galapagos Islands
A volcano in the Galapagos Islands has erupted for the first time in more than three decades. The archipelago off Ecuador is famous for its unique plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.
Image: AP
Fire and smoke
The Galapagos National Park published a series of photographs this week showing molten lava flowing down the slopes of the Wolf volcano beneath a plume of thick smoke. Wolf lies on the archipelago's biggest island, Isabela, and had been dormant for the past 33 years.
Image: Reuters/Galapagos National Park/Diego Paredes
No threat to people
Sandro Vaca of Ecuador's Geophysics Institute says the volcano's activity is likely to continue for several days, although it poses no danger to the island's human population. The nearest inhabitants live in the town of Puerto Villamil, some 115 kilometers (70 miles) south of the volcano.
Image: Reuters/Galapagos National Park/Diego Paredes
Decades dormant
There are five active volcanoes on Isabela: Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Darwin and Alcedo. According to the national park authorities, Wolf's first recorded eruption happened in 1797. There were 10 subsequent eruptions, including the last in 1982. In April, unusual seismic activity was reported at the Sierra Negra volcano.
Image: Reuters/Galapagos National Park/Diego Paredes
Wildlife haven
Like much of the Galapagos archipelago, Isabela Island is home to a rich variety of wildlife. For example, it's the only place in the world where the endangered pink iguana can be found. The Galapagos National Park said the iguanas probably won't be harmed by the eruption because the colony lives on the volcano's northwestern flank - away from the lava flows.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK
Inspiration for Darwin
Tortoises, yellow iguanas and penguins are other species also found on the island. Charles Darwin famously visited the Galapagos archipelago in 1835 during his voyage aboard the Beagle. The trip and his observations of the local plants and animals contributed to his theory of evolution by natural selection later presented in his work, The Origin of the Species.
Image: Fotolia/doethion
Volcanic archipelago in the Pacific
The Galapagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Ocean about 906 kilometers (563 miles) off the coast of Ecuador. The islands became a national park in 1959 and tourism began to grow soon afterwards. The surrounding waters were declared a biological marine reserve in 1986. In 1978, UNESCO recognized the islands as a World Heritage Site.
Image: AP
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The Wolf volcano started spewing fire, thick smoke and lava early on Monday, according to reports from the Galapagos National Park.
Wolf is situated on the northern tip of Isabela Island, home to several distinctive species of flora and fauna, including the world's only population of pink iguanas.
Authorities said lava was flowing from the peak in a southwesterly direction, and posed no risk to populated areas, although there's a possibility the scorching flows could impact local wildlife.
Wolf, which last erupted in 1982, is one of five active volcanoes on the island. At 1,700 meters above sea level (5,280 feet), it's also the archipelago's highest point.