San Cristobal (Ecuador)

Status Normal Eruption Unknown 759m
Shield (Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km))

San Cristobal

San Cristóbal Island consists of a densely vegetated western part and a lower, younger eastern part with many extremely youthful lava flows. The SW-side shield volcano morphologically resembles low-angle Hawaiian shields more than the steep-sided shields of Fernandina and Isabela Island. Most lava flows on the NE part of the island originated from SW-NE-trending fissures. Young lava flows have reached the sea, where some littoral cones formed. The latest eruptions were prehistorical in age, but are probably less than 1000 years old. Kicker Rock, two paired, steep-cliffed islands separated by a narrow cleft, is an eroded remnant of a tuff cone 5 km off the W coast.

The NW coast of San Cristóbal Island contains numerous young pyroclastic cones, spatter vents, and lava flows. The island consists of a densely vegetated SW part and a lower, younger NE part with many extremely youthful lava flows. The tip of Kicker Rock, two steep-cliffed islands separated by a narrow cleft, is barely visible on the center horizon. Kicker Rock is an eroded remnant of a tuff cone that forms one of the scenic highlights of the Galápagos, 5 km off the west coast of San Cristóbal.

Photo by Ed Vicenzi, 2002 (Smithsonian Institution).

Last updated 2019-08-04 00:28:03

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