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Cerro Azul

Azul, Cerro

Shield volcano · Ecuador · 1640m

A large tuff cone occupies the ENE side of the summit caldera of Cerro Azul volcano at the SW tip of Isabela Island. A small caldera bench is seen above the cone at the upper right, and a larger bench on the northern side of the caldera is outlined by the light-colored line below the horizon at the upper left. The 4 x 5 km wide caldera is one of the smallest of the Galápagos shield volcanoes, but its 650 m depth makes it one of the deepest. Youthful dark-colored lava flows at the left cover much of the caldera floor.
A large tuff cone occupies the ENE side of the summit caldera of Cerro Azul volcano at the SW tip of Isabela Island. A small caldera bench is seen above the cone at the upper right, and a larger bench on the northern side of the caldera is outlined by the light-colored line below the horizon at the upper left. The 4 x 5 km wide caldera is one of the smallest of the Galápagos shield volcanoes, but its 650 m depth makes it one of the deepest. Youthful dark-colored lava flows at the left cover much of the caldera floor. · Photo: Photo by Tom Simkin (Smithsonian Institution). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Shield volcano
Country
Ecuador
Region
Eastern Pacific Volcanic Regions / Galapagos Hotspot Volcano Group
Elevation
1640m
Coordinates
-0.920, -91.408
Last eruption
2008
Tectonic setting
Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Shield
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Geological summary

Located at the SW tip of the J-shaped Isabela Island, Cerro Azul contains a steep-walled 4 x 5 km nested summit caldera complex that is one of the smallest diameter, but at 650 m one of the deepest in the Galápagos Islands. The shield volcano is the second highest of the archipelago. A conspicuous bench occupies the SW and west sides of the caldera, which formed during several episodes of collapse. Youthful lava flows cover much of the caldera floor, which has also contained ephemeral lakes. A prominent tuff cone located at the ENE side of the caldera is evidence of episodic hydrovolcanism. Numerous spatter cones dot the western flanks. Fresh-looking lava flows, many erupted from circumferential fissures, descend the NE and NW flanks. Historical eruptions date back only to 1932, but Cerro Azul has been one of the most active Galápagos volcanoes since that time. Solfataric activity continues within the caldera.

From Wikipedia

Cerro Azul is a shield volcano on the south western part of Isabela Island in the Galápagos Islands. At a height of 1,689 m (5,541 ft) it is the second highest peak in the Galapagos and due to its topographic prominence of over 1,500 m (4,921 ft) it is categorised as an ultra. The volcano is one of the most active in the Galapagos, with the last eruption between May and June 2008.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
950 BCE~753 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 0556 BCE~358 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01219~1416 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01811~2008 · 12 eruptions · max VEI 3950 BCE161 BCE43012191811

Detailed timeline

  1. 2008VEI 1Observed
    2008-05-29 – 2008-06-17
    Summit and SE flank
  2. 1998VEI 1Observed
    1998-09-15 – 1998-10-21
    N & W caldera floor, SE flank (630-680 m)
  3. 1979VEI 2Observed
    1979-01-29 – 1979-03-04
    East flank (300 m) and summit
  4. 1968VEI ?Geological estimate
    1968-06-12 – Ongoing
    North flank?
  5. 1959VEI 2Observed
    1959-06-29 – 1959-07-31
    East flank
  6. 1951VEI ?Observed
    1951-07-02 – Ongoing
  7. 1949VEI 0Observed
    1949 – Ongoing
  8. 1948VEI 0Observed
    1948-06-30 – Ongoing
  9. 1943VEI 3Observed
    1943-04-13 – 1943-05-11
    Caldera ring fracture
  10. 1940VEI 0Observed
    1940 – Ongoing
    East flank (Cerro de Las Animas)
  11. 1932VEI 1Observed
    1932 – Ongoing
  12. 1850VEI ?Geological estimate
    1850 – Ongoing
  13. 1250VEI 0Geological estimate
    1250 – Ongoing
  14. 550 BCE (±1300 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 550 – Ongoing
  15. 950 BCE (±900 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 950 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.