INTRODUCTIONIn 1835, Charles Darwin, aboard the ship HMS Beagle, first set foot on the islands of the Galapagos archipelago, setting out for what would become the inspiration of the most important innovation in biological sciences either before or since. This visit solidified for Darwin his notion of the evolution of life on Earth and helped spark his breakthrough in natural selection, which ultimately resulted in his groundbreaking masterpiece On the Origin of Species by Means of natural selection. And although Darwin would never return to these islands in his lifetime, the Galapagos still hold great importance today, both symbolic and scientific, for evolutionary biologists around the world, and have been the subject of scrutiny meticulous work and intense study over the 175 years following his arrival. However, it is not just a biological treasure; indeed, the Galapagos Islands are among the best examples of very important geological theories and processes. Although Darwin and the Beagle's five-week visit marked the first ever scientific study of the islands' ecology and geology, it certainly would not be the last. From the science behind their formation to the extraordinary evidence they present for continental drift, the theory of plate tectonics, and the "hot spot" hypothesis, the Galapagos also hold great geological value. LOCATION, GENERAL GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF THE GALAPAGO ISLANDSThis archipelago is located below the equator, at a distance of between five and six hundred miles from the west coast of South America. It is made up of five main islands, and several small... They are all volcanic: on two, craters have been seen erupting, and on several of the other islands, lava flows have a...... average of paper......Works citedBAILEY, K.IMBERLEY. (1976). Potassium-argon ages of the Galapagos Islands. Science, 192(4238), 465-467.CHUBB, LAWRENCE. (1933). Geology of the Galapagos, Cocos and Easter Islands. Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Bulletin 110DARWIN, CHARLES. (1844). Volcanic islands. Retrieved February 24, 2010 from http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3054/pg3054.html. KRICHER, JOHN. (2002). Galapagos. Smithsonian InstitutionUC BERKELEY. (nd). Plate tectonics: history of an idea. Accessed February 25, 2010, from http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/techist.html.USGS.GOV. (2009). Historical Perspective [This Dynamic Earth, USGS]. (nd). . Retrieved February 20, 2010 from http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/historical.html. WHITE, W. (1997). Geology of the Galapagos. Accessed February 14, 2010 from http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/GalapagosWWW/GalapagosGeology.html.