Striking and Considerable Eruption of La Cumbre, in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, Lights Up the Night

Located on Fernandina Island, in the Galapagos archipelago in Ecuador, Mount La Cumbre was recently activated. The place, although not inhabited, is kept under surveillance by the authorities.

It was during the night of recent Saturday, March 2, that La Cumbre began important activity. On Sunday, the Geophysical Institute of Ecuador issued a statement in which it referred to the above. The organization, through social networks, detailed that “a thermal anomaly and a gas emission” made him wake up.

La Cumbre has an altitude of 1,476 meters, positioned on Fernandina Island, which is approximately 640 square kilometers in area. The islet is the third largest in the Galapagos, after Isabela and Santa Cruz. More recently, exhalations occurred in the years 2018 and 2020.

Through various digital media, including social networks, a significant number of images and videos have been shared. The aforementioned organization said that, although there is no risk to people, endemic species are located in the place, such as land and marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and penguins.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, this event does not represent a threat to tourism, so the sites where access to visitors is allowed remain open. Furthermore, the aforementioned Ministry reported not knowing how long the volcano could remain exhaling.

Cataloged by many as impressive, the eruption manifested itself. Courtesy: @IGecuador

One of the most active in the Galapagos

It is said that La Cumbre is one of the most active in the Galapagos Islands. In addition, it is said to be famous throughout the world for providing knowledge to the scientist Charles Darwin, in the 19th century, in the development of his theory of evolution.

In another vein, the Galapagos airport reported on social networks that its operations were not interrupted by the volcano. The gaseous exhalations without a higher ash content were displaced by the wind towards the West, North-Northwest and South-Southeast, without affecting any population.

The Geophysical Institute of Ecuador keeps the colossus under close surveillance. Courtesy: @IGecuador

Visible via satellite

The report says that the duration of the eruption cannot be accurately predicted, nor whether it would reach the seashore. He assures that this could surpass the events of 2017, 2018, and 2020.

The generation of gases and thermal anomalies could also be identified using the GOES-16 and VIIRS satellites. In addition, the authority commented that, by analyzing the images that were shared on social networks, the eruption could be confirmed through a circumferential fissure, located in the upper part of the Southeastern flank.