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Ocean Policy of the UNCLOS in Ecuador Based on New Geodynamic and Geochronological Evidences

Abstract:

All countries adjacent to the sea or ocean have the opportunity to extent their national territory toward their own islands by obtaining scientific results within a time period of ten years while applying the conditions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS/CONVEMAR), which indicates a 12-mile territorial sea and is complemented by an exclusive economic zone that reaches 200 miles. Such purpose of this given ocean policy has been also applied by the Ecuadorian government in 2012. However, since without a scientific strategy focused on solving this problem, the results obtained would be the same to those already known in the academic world for decades. Therefore, we claimed to resolve such information impasse, by applying zircon geochronology in volcanic rocks and samples of the Galapagos Islands. With the discovery of zircons and the corresponding old ages proving continental origin, we have been able to demonstrate the belonging of the Galapagos Islands and its derivative then the Carnegie Crest to the continental (mainland) Ecuador and the South American Continent. This will allow to be able to claim the corresponding extension of Ecuador’s continental platform toward its Galapagos Islands, triplicating the national territory extension.