Processes of sediment transport across the Galapagos Platform: A geophysical study of Canal Isabela

Abstract

The Galapagos Islands are situated on a hot spot, an area in the Earth’s crust that has magma close to the surface. This study was used to collect data that would show how sediment transport takes place between Isabela and San Salvador Islands in Canal Isabela. Sediment transport is important because this transfer process plays a major role in the transport of nutrients, the recycling of carbon, and the movement of pollutants, all important on a global scale in understanding how individual ecosystems function.