GEOGRAPHY
Socorro Island is part of the Revillagigedo Islands, a group of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, located 386 km southwest of Baja California. Other islands of the Revillagigedo Islands include San Benedicto, Roca Partida and Clarion. The area of Socorro Island is 132km², which is the largest among the Revillagigedo Islands. The Revillagigedo Islands are volcanic islands, as they were formed from volcanic eruption, so Socorro Island has a rich amount of igneous rocks, most of them being basalt.
Socorro Island is the tip of a basaltic shield volcano; most of the volcano is under sea level while the highest elevation of the island is 1,050m - 1,150m above sea level. The summit of the island is known as Cerro Evermann, a large complex of dome lava and tephra cone. The latest volcanic activity on the island occurred in 1951, which was a phreatic eruption. Today, an active fumarole can still be found in Cerro Evermann. As a result of volcanic eruption, the terrain of Socorro Island is mainly covered furrows, small craters and ravines.
ECOLOGY
As a result of its isolated location, Socorro Island is home to many endemic plants and animal species, lending to its nickname "Mexico’s Little Galapagos." More than 30% of the species found on Socorro Island are endemic. However, the ecology of the island was threatened since the habitation of humans. In the last few decades, several species were introduced to the island such as cats, rodents and sheep. A huge amount of native vegetation has been destroyed since domestic sheep were introduced. Meanwhile, feral cats have caused to the reduction of some native birds, including the extinction of Socorro dove. In order to deal with the ecological loss, since the 1980s, the island was listed as conservation area by government and different environmental groups. In 1994, the area was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
CLIMATE
The climate of Socorro Island is dry with about 600mm of precipitation every year. The climate of Socorro Island can be further classified vertically; under elevation of 400m, the climate is tropical semi-dry, while the climate above 400m in the island is subtropical and sub humid. Due to its climatic characteristics, dry forest is the main type of vegetation on the island.