Ecuador’s La Cumbre volcano, located on Fernandina Island in the western portion of the Galápagos archipelago, erupted on June 16, and as of press time was still emitting ash and gas, though lava flows had stopped. La Cumbre is one of eight volcanoes on the Galápagos chain; five are located on Isabela Island, while La Pinta Island and Marchena Island each has one. The 1,476-meter volcano, which occupies practically the entire island, erupted on its northeast side. Its last eruption occurred on its southwest side in September of 2017. Fernandina, a relatively young 500,000 years in age, is virtually free of invasive species, has no human population and is earmarked by the Ecuadorian government for strict ecosystem and biodiversity protection. The island is home... [Log in to read more]