Volcán Wolf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Volcán Wolf
Wolf Volcano, 2001, NASA Landsat 7 image
Highest point
Elevation	1,710 m (5,610 ft)
Prominence	1,710 m (5,610 ft)
Listing	Ultra
Geography
Volcán Wolf Location in Galápagos Islands
Location	Isabela Island, Galápagos Islands
Geology
Mountain type	Shield volcano
Last eruption	7 January 2022

Wolf Volcano (Spanish: Volcán Wolf), also known as Mount Whiton, is the highest peak in the amazing Galápagos Islands. It stands tall on Isabela Island, reaching an impressive 1,710 meters (about 5,610 feet) into the sky. This volcano is a type called a shield volcano, which means it has gentle slopes and looks a bit like a warrior's shield lying on the ground.

The volcano got its name from Theodor Wolf, a German geologist who explored the Galápagos Islands in the 1800s. Another place, Wolf Island in the northern Galápagos, is also named after him.

Because of its great height, Wolf Volcano is considered an "ultra prominent peak." This means it rises at least 1,500 meters (about 4,921 feet) above the surrounding land. This makes it stand out significantly from its surroundings.

Exploring Wolf Volcano's Geology

How Wolf Volcano Formed

The Galápagos Islands, including Wolf Volcano, were created by a special process. It's similar to how the Hawaiian Islands formed. Imagine a very hot spot deep inside the Earth, called a hotspot. This hotspot stays in one place, like a giant burner. Above it, a huge piece of Earth's crust, called the Nazca Plate, slowly moves. As the plate moves over the hotspot, molten rock (magma) pushes up. This magma then creates volcanoes.

Wolf Volcano is quite young, estimated to be less than half a million years old. The oceanic plate it sits on is much older, about 10 million years old.

Where Wolf Volcano Is Located

Wolf Volcano is found at the northern tip of Isabela Island in the Galápagos. It sits right on the equator! Isabela Island is actually made up of six volcanoes that have grown together over time. The other volcanoes are Ecuador, Darwin, Alcedo, Sierra Negra, and Cerro Azul.

The volcanoes in the western Galápagos, like Wolf and Fernandina Island volcano, look different from those in the eastern part. Western volcanoes are generally taller and have much larger calderas. A caldera is a huge, bowl-shaped hollow at the top of a volcano. It forms when the ground collapses after an eruption. These western volcanoes also have that unique "upturned soup bowl" shape.

Wolf Volcano rises over 1,700 meters (about 5,577 feet) high. Its caldera is enormous, measuring about 6 by 7 kilometers (3.7 by 4.3 miles) wide. It is also 700 meters (2,297 feet) deep. Only Cerro Azul has a caldera as deep in the Galápagos. After its last eruption, parts of the caldera floor collapsed. This gave it a stepped look. Wolf's slopes are very steep, reaching 35 degrees in some places. This makes access difficult.

Lava and Eruptions

The first recorded eruption of Wolf Volcano happened in 1797. Since then, there have been eleven more eruptions. The most recent one occurred in early January 2022. Scientists can study older lava flows to learn about eruptions that happened before 1797. The newest lava flows are mostly on the eastern and southern sides of the volcano. They are also found inside its caldera.

The lava from Wolf Volcano is special. It's different from the lava of nearby volcanoes like Ecuador and Darwin. It's also similar to lava found at the Galapagos Spreading Center. This is a long underwater mountain range over 200 kilometers (124 miles) away. This might be because of how the hotspot interacts with the Earth's upper mantle deep below.

Amazing Wildlife of Wolf Volcano

Unique Animals of Wolf Volcano

Just like other parts of the Galápagos, Wolf Volcano is home to amazing and unique animals. These creatures are different not only from those on other islands. They also differ from those on other volcanoes on Isabela Island itself.

One special animal is its own subspecies of Galapagos tortoise. It is called the Chelonoidis nigra becki. These tortoises have a unique "saddleback" shell. This means the front of their shell curves upwards, like a saddle. This shape helps them reach higher vegetation. You can find them on the northern and western slopes of the volcano. This is where there's more plant life away from recent lava flows.

Sadly, these tortoises have faced challenges. In the past, ships sometimes left tortoises from other islands on Wolf Volcano. The C. n. becki tortoises are also threatened by animals like feral cats, which hunt their young. In 2008, scientists surveyed over 1,600 tortoises on Wolf Volcano. They found many different shell shapes. This included some similar to the famous Lonesome George. Scientists studied the DNA of these tortoises to learn more about their family trees.

The Pink Land Iguana

In 2009, a brand new species of land iguana was officially identified on the slopes of Wolf Volcano. It is called the pink land iguana. Park rangers first spotted these unique iguanas in 1986. Scientists began studying them in 2000. It's a mystery where this species first developed. Scientists believe it separated from other Galápagos land iguanas. This happened even before Wolf Volcano or Isabela Island fully formed!

Protecting the Habitat

The natural environment around Wolf Volcano faces a threat from introduced animals, especially goats. To protect the unique wildlife, the Galápagos National Park started "Project Isabela." This project works to remove feral (wild) goats from the area around Wolf Volcano. This helps the native plants and animals thrive.

Recent Eruptions

The 2015 Eruption

After being quiet for 33 years, Wolf Volcano erupted on May 25, 2015. Luckily, the volcano is not near any towns or cities. The lava flowed down the east and southeast sides of the volcano. This meant that the rare pink land iguana, which lives on the north and west sides, was safe from the lava flows.

The 2022 Eruption

On January 7, 2022, Ecuador's Geophysical Institute announced another eruption. Shortly before midnight on January 5, 2022, Wolf Volcano sent a cloud of ash and lava high into the sky. It reached about 3,793 meters (12,444 feet).

See also

In Spanish: Volcán Wolf para niños

• Volcanoes of the Galápagos Islands
• List of volcanoes in Ecuador

Images for kids

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  Wolf Volcano, 2001, NASA Landsat 7 image