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The classic “overturned soup bowl” profile of Galapagos volcanoes is well displayed by this early morning photo of Fernandina Island’s SW coastline. This particular type of volcanic profile is probably due to the fact that the volcanoes, once they emerge above sea level do not appear to have linear subaerial rift zones, like the volcanoes in Hawaii. Instead, they have radial rift zones, which form a bull’s eye pattern around the volcano. Eruptions along the radial rifts build up the slope concentrically around the center of the island and help build up the steep slope that marks the “bowl” part of the profile.

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