The Galapagos Islands volcano has erupted for the first time in 33 years. The Wolf volcano on Isabela Island erupted on Monday and has raised fears that the ecosystem may be under threat.
Charles Darwin got the inspiration for his book ‘On the origin of species by means of natural selection’ after visiting the Galapagos islands.
The volcano sits on top of the highest point of one of Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. The Isabela island is home to the only population of pink iguanas in the world.
The spectacular eruption spewed out plumes of fire, lava and ash. It was captured on an amateur video shot from a plane. Authorities believe there is no risk to human life, and the pink iguanas are not in any immediate danger.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
The BBC reports:
The Galapagos National park said that the lava was flowing in a south-westerly direction.
The iguanas, “which share the habitat with yellow iguanas and giant Chelonoidis becki tortoises, are situated on the north-west flank, which raises hopes that they will not be affected,” it said in a statement.
The volcano lies on the northern tip of Isabela Island, the archipelago’s largest.
It is 115km (70 miles) from Puerto Villamil, the only population centre on the island.
“The eruption generated a very large column of smoke that rose more than 10km (six miles) into the air, and later drifted toward the south-west part of the volcano,” Sandro Vaca of Ecuador’s Geophysics Institute told the AFP news agency.
The chain of 13 islands and 17 islets, which sits about 1,000km (621 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, is one of the most volcanically active regions in the world.
There are several varieties of iguanas on the islands.
Unesco has declared the Galapagos a World Heritage Site and has warned the ecosystem is in danger from increased tourism and the introduction of non-native species.
The variety of wildlife on the island famously inspired Charles Darwin to conceive the theory of evolution.
“One general law, leading to the advancement of all organic beings, namely, multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die.” he wrote in On the Origin of Species after visiting the islands.
Dutchsinse video from Youtube:
Edmondo Burr
CEO
Assistant Editor
Latest posts by Edmondo Burr (see all)
- Police Arrest Suspect In Supermarket Baby Food Poisoning - October 1, 2017
- Seoul Secures Data From Electromagnetic Interference By N Korea - September 30, 2017
- The ‘World’s First Internet War’ Has Begun: Julian Assange - September 30, 2017
Be the first to comment