Tofindtheenchantedislands,youmustleaveEcuadorontheSouthAmericanmainlandandtravelwestfor1,000 kilometers(620 miles).FollowtheEquatortoanisolatedclumpofislandsweknowasthe Galápagos.

Fromtheair,someislandslooklikegreengemsspringingupfromthedeepblueocean.Otherislandslookbarren.Youcantrycountingthem.Thereare13largeislands(12shownonourmap),sixsmallerones,andscoresofunnamedrocks.Howdidtheyform,sofarawayfromtherestoftheworld?TheanswerliesinEarth’scrust.Or,morespecifically,thetectonicplatesthatmakeupEarth’scrustandmoveinrelationtoeach other.

FromtheDepths

TheGalápagosIslandssitontopofoneofthemostactivevolcanicregionsonEarth.TheseislandslieontheNazcatectonicplate,whichistouchedbyfourother plates.

Thisisolatedplaceintheoceanrestsaboveahot spotinEarth’scrustwhereacolumnofhotmagmarises.Whenthemagmareachesthesurface,lavaspewsout.Thelavapilesup.Eventually,avolcano forms.

ThisishowthefirstGalápagosisland,Española,formedmorethanthreemillionyearsago.EachGalápagosisland isvolcanicinnature.Thelargestisland,Isabela,wasformedbysix volcanoesthatmerged together.

ThisaerialviewshowsthevolcaniccratersthatmakeupIsabela Island.

On the Move...

Volcanicactivityexplainshowoneislandformed,buthowweretheotherislandsformed?Thinkbacktotheplates.Remember,theymove.TheNazcaplatemovestowardtheSouthAmericanplateatarateofaround7centimeters(2.7inches)per year.

Theplatesmove,butthehot spotdoesnot.Overtime,EspañolawascarriedsoutheastwardalongwiththeNazcaplate.Thenanewisland—SanCristóbal—formedonthe hot spot.

Thelayoutoftheislandsreflectsthespeedanddirectionofthemovingplate.TheGalápagos’youngestisland,Fernandina,sitsonthehot spotnow.It’samere700,000yearsold.Itsvolcanoeruptedin2009,2017,and 2018.