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Ecuador

Shield in Ecuador

Last Eruption: 1150

Key Facts

Elevation

790 m (2,592 ft)

Type

Shield

Location

-0.020°, -91.546°

Region

Galapagos Hotspot Volcano Group

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

Volcán Ecuador straddles the equator at the NW end of Isabela Island. The western side of the volcano, the smallest of the six large shield volcanoes on the island, is broadly breached by edifice collapse, and youthful lava flows cover much of the caldera floor. Two large pyroclastic cones were constructed along the coast, and several chains of spatter cones and small scoria cones cross the caldera floor, which has a prominent bench on its southern side.

A single dark-colored aa lava flow covers about half of the caldera floor. A number of young lava flows reach the coast to form Cape Berkeley, W of a large youthful-looking tuff cone. Extending from the outer eastern flanks of the main edifice is a line of NE-trending fissure-fed vents that connect Volcán Ecuador (also known as Cape Berkeley volcano) with Volcán Wolf.

The only Isabela Island volcano without historical eruptions, the youthful morphology of its most recent lava flows nevertheless resembles those of very recent flows on other Isabela Island volcanoes.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

    Risk Level

    Population at RiskModerate
    Infrastructure RiskModerate
    Aviation RiskSignificant

    Geological Composition & Structure

    Rock Types

    Primary
    Basalt / Picro-Basalt
    Silica Content
    Low (45-52% SiO₂)

    Tectonic Setting

    Rift zone
    Continental rift or intraplate setting with varied eruptive styles.

    Age & Formation

    Epoch
    Holocene
    Evidence
    Eruption Dated

    Eruption Statistics & Analysis

    MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
    Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
    Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
    Recent Activity876 years agoHistoricalHistorically active

    Monitoring & Alert Status

    Monitoring Networks

    Global Volcanism Program
    International eruption database

    Current Status

    Normal
    No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

    Nearby Volcanoes in Eastern Pacific Volcanic Regions

    Regional Volcanic Activity
    The Eastern Pacific Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

    Quick Info

    • Smithsonian ID: 353011
    • Evidence: Eruption Dated
    • Epoch: Holocene

    About the Photo

    An aerial view of Volcán Ecuador from the south shows the large horseshoe-shaped caldera breached to the west that was formed when the volcano collapsed, producing a large submarine debris avalanche. The volcano straddles the equator at the NW end of Isabela Island. Two large pyroclastic cones were constructed along the coast, and smaller cones are found on the caldera floor. Extensive dark-colored lava flows (right) originate from a NE-trending line of fissures that extends from the outer eastern flanks of the main edifice.

    Photo by Patricio Ramon, 2005 (Instituto Geofisca, Escuela Politecnica Nacional).

    Basic Information

    This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.