This view from near the northern tip of Volcan Wolf shows the typical (and famous) profile of a Galapagos shield volcano. There are gradual slopes inland to 3-4 km from the coast. Further inland the volcanoes become quite steep and then flatten out again to form a washer-shaped plateau around the caldera. The steep slopes are somewhat enigmatic since the lavas are very fluid and should be able to only build gradual slopes. Hypotheses to explain them include updoming of the center of the volcano by magma intrusions, construction of the center by viscous lavas and/or pyroclastic activity (now buried), and erosion of cliffs (such as at Volcan Ecuador) that have since be en buried by younger flows.

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