The La Cumbre volcano, located on Fernandina Island, west of the archipelago, started erupting on January 12, 2020, around 6:15 p.m.
The first images show a radial fissure along the southeast edge of the volcano, with lava flows descending towards the coasts.
While the Taal volcano was powerfully erupting in the Philippines, a new major eruption of the La Cumbre volcano lit up the Galapagos.
Prior to the large explosion, an increase in seismic activity was captured on seismometers around the volcano.
The shield-type volcano had its last eruption on June 16, 2018.
Fernandina is one of the youngest islands in the archipelago. Its ecological value is very high because its ecosystems are home to unique species such as land and marine iguanas, snakes, endemic rats, flightless cormorants, penguins, among others. This island has no human population.
The DPNG will monitor and record the changes that occur in the ecosystem after the eruption of this volcano.
