Volcano Live

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

0.02 N, 91.35 W
summit elevation 1710 m
shield volcano

Wolf is the highest volcano in the Galápagos Islands. The volcano is situated on the equator. Wolf is one of six shield volcanoes on Isabela Island. Western Galapagos volcanoes are formed by a deeply rooted mantle plume.

Wolf volcano has experienced periodic filling and collapse of the caldera. The volcano is different from other western Galapagos shield volcanoes due to depleted Pb, Sr, and Nd signatures.

Wolf volcano is bordered by younger volcanoes north (Roca Redonda), west (Ecuador), and south (Darwin). Before Wolf volcano emerged there was a one million year pause in volcanic activity in the area. Volcanic fissures at Wolf volcano are different to Hawaii and Iceland and contain diffuse rift zones.

The volcano is considered typical of the Galapagos volcanoes. The erupted lava spans a very small temperature range which is attributed to buffering of magma during ascent from a shallow (<2 km deep) subcaldera sill that is in a thermochemical steady state.

2022 Eruption
An eruption began at Wolf volcano on 7 January 2022. Ash emissions to NNE reached 18,000 ft altitude, and a hotspot was visible on satellite images. No report yet of lava flow. 

2015 Eruption
An eruption of Wolf volcano, Galapagos Islands began on 24th May 2015. The eruption began with a magnitude 4.7 earthquake and explosive activity. Wolf Volcano is located in the northern part of Isabela Island, and is the tallest volcano in the Galapagos (1710 m). The previous eruption at Wolf volcano occurred in 1982. At 04:34 hr on 24th May an eruption column reached an altitude of 50,000 ft and drifted east-northeast. Satellite images showed an intense hotspot on the southeast flank of the volcano, confirming eruptive activity. National park staff observed a fissure on the upper south-southeast flank of the volcano with several lava flows moving towards the sea. The eruption will have effects on the flora and fauna as well as the marine environment when the lava reaches the sea. The previous eruption of Wolf volcano occurred in 1982.

Further reading
Bernard, Benjamin, et al. "Chronology and phenomenology of the 1982 and 2015 Wolf volcano eruptions, Galápagos Archipelago." Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 374 (2019): 26-38.

Stock, Michael J., et al. "Integrated petrological and geophysical constraints on magma system architecture in the western Galápagos Archipelago: insights from Wolf volcano." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 19.12 (2018): 4722-4743.

Geist, Dennis J., et al. "Wolf Volcano, Galápagos Archipelago: Melting and magmatic evolution at the margins of a mantle plume." Journal of Petrology 46.11 (2005): 2197-2224.