To disembark a bit after the sun rises is one of the activities people enjoy the most. On board Polaris we have a few of these early outings during the week. The early morning breeze and sun replenish our spirits with an abundance of energy, which keeps us all cheery and active for the rest of the day.
Bartolomé today was simply breathtaking. The clouds played around above us, giving us the most remarkable view of Santiago Island, which lies across a narrow canal. You cannot imagine the festival of colors that illuminated both islands. As we hiked up to the summit admiring the various volcanic features, the breeze caressed our faces and filled us with more strength and willingness to keep going. From the very top we could see the variation in color, size and shapes of the different volcanic cones.
In the Galapagos we find three different types of volcanic cones: scoria cones, spatter cones and tuff cones. Scoria cones are often found on faults in the main volcano structure and are referred as parasitic cones due the fact that they are formed of material from the volcano’s main chimney. These cones are rarely more than a few hundred meters high and are made up mostly of lapilli sized fragments. Young scoria cones usually have an outer slope of about 33 degrees known as the angle of repose on loose cinders. Spatter cones on the other hand are formed from dramatic fire fountains. Large amounts of gases released send large lumps of molten material to the sky. These lumps land and solidify on one another forming large piles of hard rock. The third type of cones are referred as tuff cones, which tend to be formed from small ash sized particles. The interaction of molten rock and water results in violent explosions. The highly fragmented material is then sent far and wide. By the heat of the eruption or by later cementation, the particles agglomerate into a harder rock known as tuff.
Bartolomé is made up of many of these cones, giving the island a lunar landscape. Today’s photo shows you the view that one gets from its summit and it is just extraordinary. Don’t you agree?
