A fissure eruption on the SE caldera bench of Fernandina volcano feeds lava flows that form a spectacular, 530-m-high cascade of molten lava down the caldera wall. A four-day-long eruption began on March 23, 1977 from fissures on the west side of the SE caldera bench, 300 m below the caldera rim. Lava flows can be seen spreading out over the caldera bench before pouring over the caldera wall. The distal end of the lava flows formed a small lava delta in the 2-km-wide caldera lake.

Photo by Dagmar Werner, Charles Darwin Research Station, 1977 (courtesy of Tom Simkin, Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Fernandina