Redonda Rock

Not to be confused with Redonda in the Caribbean or Rodondo Island in Australia.
Roca Redonda
Redonda Rock (1966)
Highest point
Elevation67 m (220 ft)
Prominence67 m (220 ft)
Coordinates0°16′N 91°38′W / 0.27°N 91.63°W / 0.27; -91.63
Geography
Geology
Mountain typeShield volcano
Last eruptionUnknown

Redonda Rock[a] (Spanish: Roca Redonda, "Round Rock") is a flat-topped, steep-sided islet located roughly 25 km (16 mi) northwest of the island of Isabela in Ecuador's Galápagos Islands. Redonda measures 100 m (330 ft) long and 50 m (160 ft) wide with a maximum elevation of 67 m (220 ft).[3] Its isolation and inaccessibility coupled with its rocky cliffs riddled with crevices and crossed by ledges has made Redonda a haven for nesting seabirds.[4]

This small volcanic island is the remains of a large shield volcano that has vastly eroded away below sea level. Potassium–argon dating of Redonda indicates that the islet is at least 53,000 years old.[3] However, it remains unknown when the last eruption occurred from the shield volcano. Several shallow submarine fumaroles exist around the island and may indicate that the volcano is still active.[5]

  1. ^ McEwen (1988), p. 235.
  2. ^ Kitchin, Thomas (1797), "South America", Kitchin's General Atlas..., London: Laurie & Whittle.
  3. ^ a b "Roca Redonda". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  4. ^ Hess, John (2009). The Galápagos: Exploring Darwin's Tapestry. University of Missouri Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-8262-1837-7.
  5. ^ "The emergence of a Galápagos shield volcano, Roca Redonda". Springer-Verlag. Retrieved 1 October 2023.


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