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The volcano that sits on top of the Galapagos Islands erupted on Monday threatening the life of a unique species of pink iguanas.
The volcano, which is situated on top of the Isabela Island, erupted on Monday for the first time in more than 30 years.
Officials in charge of the Galapagos National Park made an official statement in which they said that the eruption could endanger the life of a unique species of reptile, the pink iguana, which only lives on this island.
According to the officials, the Galapagos Islands volcano is approximately 1.7 km high and the archipelago hosts a varied collection of fauna and flora.
The Galapagos Islands were an important source of inspiration for Charles Darwin who wrote his most famous book “The Theory of Evolution” based on what he saw after visiting the archipelago in 1835.
One of the species that is most at danger is Conolophus marthae, or the Galapagos Rosy iguana.
This species of lizard is approximately 110 cm long and has been the subject of many observations on this island since 2009.
The officials in charge of the Galapagos National Park posted on Twitter that the Wolf volcano is not situated close to a populated area, which means that there is no risk of humans to be injured by the flowing lava.
The Twitter post also said that on these islands lives the only population of pink iguanas.
An officer who works for the park made a statement in which he said that neither the pink nor the yellow iguanas are threatened by the eruption.
The officer added that the lava from the volcano is not flowing down toward the park where unique species of reptiles and other animals live.
The lava has been seen pouring down on the south side of the volcano, while the animals live on the northern side.
However, the officials said that only after the eruption stops they can examine the site better.
The national park posted photos of the flowing lava as it pours down the sides of the volcano; they also estimated that there is a dark plume of 10 km high that rises above the volcano.
Researchers from the Geophysics Institute said that the eruption of the Galapagos Islands volcano can threaten marine life if the lava reaches the sea.
Also, the scientists said that although the populated areas of the archipelago are not threatened by the eruption, they can however be affected by the ash cloud.
Image Source: abc
