Geography & Environment : Galapagos Islands

In addition to online material, a trip to your local library may reveal more material on this subject. The Library of Congress online catalog has a large number of books on the Galapagos Islands. You may wish to consult our catalog for additional materials at http://catalog.loc.gov/ Articles and other materials may also be found in the Handbook of Latin American Studies.Environmental concerns surrounding the oil spill off the Galapagos Islands have brought the Ecuadorian islands to the attention of the world. On January 16th, 2001, the oil tanker Jessica ran aground off the coast of San Cristobal, the eastern-most island of the Galapagos, spilling approximately two-thirds of its 240,000-gallon cargo. Home to a spectacular variety of exotic plant and animal species, including giant tortoises, sea lions, and iguanas, the Galapagos provided 19th-century scientist Charles Darwin with a proving ground for his theories of evolution. The final environmental report of the spill is available from the Charles Darwin Foundation at http://www.darwinfoundation.org/oilspill.html

ATLAS -- ECUADOR  (http://www.terraquest.com/galapagos/atlas/cont/cont.htm)
Presents an interactive map of the South American country of Ecuador, provided by TerraQuest. Features facts about Ecuador, including the location, area, population, and ethnic divisions.

CARTA ESFERICA QUE COMPDE. UNA PTE. DEL ARCHIPIELAGO DE LOS GALAPAGOS DESDE 1735 MS. DE LATD. SEPT. HASTA 17 DE LA MERIDIONAL RECONOCIDOS POR LA FRAGTA STA. GERTRUDIZ....  (http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g5302g.ct000333)
This item from the Library of Congress' online project "The Luso-Hispanic World in Maps" (http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/luso/ presents on this copy of the 1793 manuscript the result of the sightings by the crew of the frigate, Santa Gertrudiz, between March 18 and 21.

GALAPAGOS GEOLOGY WEB PAGE  (http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/Galapagos.html)
The intention of this web site is to provide information on the Galapagos Islands to both scientists and non-scientists alike. Charles Darwin was the first geologist to explore the Galapagos. He made many important observations of Galapagos geology and drew conclusions that remain valid today.

PLANT IMAGE GALLERY  (http://www.plant-pictures.com/)
Thomas Schoepke highlights a collection of pictures of plants native to several parts of the world. Schoepke includes pictures of plants from Costa Rica, Galapagos Islands, and Ruegen Island in Germany. Plant families highlighted in the collection include Acoraceae, Bixaceae, Bromeliaceae, Dicksoniaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Lobeliaceae, among others.

RECENT AND ONGOING VOLCANIC ACTIVITY  (http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/active.html)
Presents the Recent and Ongoing Volcanic Activity page maintained by Michigan Technical University and sponsored by the Keweenaw Volcano Observatory. Offers links to ground and satellite images, remote sensing interpretations, historical backgrounds, and field updates of recent or ongoing volcanic activity around the world. Some regions described include the Cape Verde Islands, New Guinea, Russia, Indonesia, the Phillipines, and the Galapagos Islands. Also features links to the Global Volcanism Network Bulletin.