QUITO, Ecuador, Oct. 24, 2005
Galapagos Volcano Erupts
Sierra Negra Volcano Produces Three Lava Flows
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Play CBS Video Video Volcano Erupts In Ecuador Just off the coast of Ecuador in the Galapagos Islands, the Sierra Negra volcano erupted and sent lava spilling seawards. For now, nobody is in danger and the giant tortoises are safe.
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Sierra Negra volcano erupts. (AP)
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Lava flows from Sierra Negra volcano, Isabela, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. (AP)
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The steam cloud rises above Sierra Negra Volcano on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005. (AP)
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Interactive Volcano! Find out where the world's active volcanoes are located and see photos of some that have awoken with a vengeance.
The 4,920-feet Sierra Negra volcano, located on seahorse-shaped Isabela, the largest of the Galapagos Islands, began erupting late Saturday afternoon, producing three lava flows, officials from the Galapagos National Park told The Associated Press in a statement. It has not yet been determined whether the island's plant and animal life have been affected.
Many Galapagos tortoises, some of which have a lifespan of more than 150 years, live near volcano craters.
Puerto Villamil on Isabela's southern coast is home to 2,000 people, but the eruption posed "no risk to the population," the statement said. Tourist centers near Sierra Negra were closed as a precaution.
The Galapagos Islands, located 625 miles off Ecuador's Pacific coast, were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for their exotic wildlife such as marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies. The islands' rich biodiversity inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
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