La Cumbre (Galápagos Islands)
La Cumbre is a shield volcano on Fernandina Island in the Galápagos Islands. La Cumbre is also the youngest volcano in the Galápagos Islands.
| La Cumbre | |
|---|---|
 La Cumbre, as seen from the International Space Station. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,476 metres (4,843 ft) |
| Coordinates | 0°22′S 91°33′W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Fernandina Island, Galápagos Islands |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Shield volcano |
| Last eruption | January 2020 |
La Cumbre began erupting again in April 2009.[1] There were fears that lava flowing into the ocean could disrupt and destroy unique flora and fauna of the island, as the flows engulfed much of the island. La Cumbre is the most active volcano of the Galapagos Islands and its peak has an elevation of 1,476 m (4,842 feet).[2] It has experienced several collapses of the caldera floor, often following explosive eruptions.
On Saturday, June 16th, 2018, after a period of heavy seismic activity, La Cumbre erupted. A fissure formed on the north north east flank of the volcano. Lava fountains quickly produced a large lava flow that soon reached the ocean. Gas clouds from the eruption reached 2 to 3 kilometers in height, but did not cause any effects due to the low ash concentration.[3]
The volcano started erupting again on 12 January 2020.[4]
References
- NASA Natural Hazards
- "Fernandina". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.
- "Youngest volcano of the Galapagos starts a new eruptive phase with fissure fountains and lava flows reaching the sea". www.volcanodiscovery.com. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
- "New eruption at Fernandina volcano (Cerro la Cumbre), lava flows descending to the coast - Galapagos, Ecuador". The Watchers - Daily news service | Watchers.NEWS. Retrieved 2020-01-14.