How did the Galapagos Islands form?

The Galapagos Islands were formed by volcanic activity, specifically through a process involving a hotspot deep within the Earth's mantle. This hotspot is a stationary source of heat that causes magma to rise and erupt through the lithospheric plate above it. As the tectonic plate moves over the hotspot, new volcanoes form and become active, while older ones are carried away and eventually become extinct. The Galapagos Islands themselves are composed of lava piles and shield volcanoes, with the existing islands having formed between 700,000 and 5,000,000 years ago.1234