GALAPAGOS GEOLOGY

The origins of the Galapagos Islands are best understood in a geological context. The theory of plate tectonics that underpins modern geology offers a neat hypothesis for the presence of the Galapagos. Unlike continents, which are large masses of granitic rock surrounded by basaltic oceanic plates, the Galapagos Islands, which is an island chain in the middle of the ocean are comprised mostly of basalt, is the result of eruptions from oceanic plates. To explain this, geologists devised the "hotspot" model. This is based on the idea that a plume of hot material is rising from deep in the earth's mantle and melts the overlying oceanic plate. This material rises to the surface and solidifies into the islands we see today. There is good circumstantial evidence for this idea, but the origin of the underlying mechanism within the mantle remains mysterious.

For detailed information on the theory of the origins of the Galapagos Islands, check out the hotspot model.