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Ecuador · Shield volcano

Volcán Wolf

Wolf

Type
Shield volcano
Elevation
1710m
Last eruption
2022
Volcán Wolf
Photo: NASA Landsat 7 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Shield volcano
Country
Ecuador
Region
Eastern Pacific / Galapagos Hotspot Volcano Group
Elevation
1710m
Coordinates
0.020, -91.350
Last eruption
2022
Tectonic setting
Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Shield
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-basalt
Geological summary

Volcán Wolf, the highest volcano of the Galápagos Islands, straddles the equator at the north end of the archipelago's largest island, Isabela. The edifice has steeper slopes than most other Isabela volcanoes, reaching angles up to 35°. The summit caldera is 6 x 7 km across and 700 m deep. A prominent bench on the west side of the caldera rises 450 m above the caldera floor, much of which is covered by a lava flow erupted in 1982. Radial fissures concentrated along diffuse rift zones extend down the N, NW, and SE flanks, and submarine vents lie beyond the N and NW fissures. Similar unvegetated flows originating from a circumferential chain of spatter and scoria cones on the eastern caldera rim drape the forested flanks to the sea. The proportion of aa lava flows exceeds that of other Galápagos volcanoes. An eruption in 1797 was the first observed and documented in the Galápagos Islands.

From Wikipedia

Wolf Volcano, also known as Mount Whiton, is the highest peak in the Galápagos Islands. It is situated on Isabela Island and reaches 1,710 m (5,610 ft). It is a shield volcano with a characteristic upturned soup bowl shape.

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Eruption history

17 recordedGlossary
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
150~337 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 0899~1086 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01273~1460 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01648~1835 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 21835~2022 · 12 eruptions · max VEI 4150524108614601835

Detailed timeline

  1. 2022VEI 2Observed
    2022-01-06 – 2022-04-14
  2. 2015VEI 4Observed
    2015-05-25 – 2015-07-16
    a fissure on the SE edge of the caldera, on the NE, E, and SE flanks, and within the summit caldera
  3. 1982VEI 1Observed
    1982-08-28 – 1982-09-06
    Caldera and SE flank (875 m)
  4. 1973VEI ?Method not stated
    1973-10-25 – 1973-10-29
  5. 1963VEI 0Observed
    1963-03-04 – 1963-03-16
    SE flank (610 m)
  6. 1948VEI 2Observed
    1948-01-24 – 1948-01-31
    SE flank (1200 m)
  7. 1938VEI ?Observed
    1938-07-02 – end unknown
  8. 1935VEI ?Observed
    1935-02-16 – end unknown
  9. 1933VEI 0Observed
    1933-07-02 – end unknown
  10. 1925VEI 1Observed
    1925-04-11 – 1926-03-26
    ESE flank
  11. 1859VEI ?Observed
    1859-08-26 – 1859-08-29
  12. 1849VEI 0Observed
    1849-09-27 – 1849-09-27
    Volcano Uncertain: either Wolf or Darwin
  13. 1800VEI 2Observed
    1800-08-21 – 1800-08-21
  14. 1797VEI ?Observed
    1797-08 – end unknown
  15. 1450VEI 0Geological estimate
    1450 – end unknown
    Lower NE and SE flanks
  16. 950VEI 0Geological estimate
    950 – end unknown
    Lower NE flank
  17. 150 (±800 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    150 – end unknown
    Lower SW flank

Nearby volcanoes

External links

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