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Dramatic Changes to the Geology of the Galapagos Rift

The Galapagos Rift is an incredibly active geologic center, and its landscape changes very quickly. Many of the original hydrothermal vent sites from the first discoveries in 1977 and 1979 have been destroyed by fresh lava flow. Even vent sites first seen in 2004 are gone, paved over by new pillow lava.