8/2/2019 The Idea Regarding the Formation of Hawaii Island and the Motion of the Pacific Plate .

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The Hawaiian Emperor seamoun tchain is a well-known ex ample of a

large seamount and island chaincreated by hot-spot volcanism. Eachisland or submerged seamount in thechain is successively older toward the

northwest. Near Hawaii, the ageprogression from island to island can

be use d to calculate the mo tion of thePacific Oceanic plate toward thenorthwest. The younge st seamo unt of

the Hawaiian chain is Loihi, whichpresently is erupting from its sum mitat a depth of 1000 meters. Image

courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey.

Home

>Ocean Facts

The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanic activity

The Earths outer crust is made up of a series of tectonic plates that

move over the surface of the planet. In areas where the plates cometogether, sometimes volcanoes will form. Volcanoes can also form in

the middle of a plate, where magma rises upward until it erupts on

the sea floor, at what is called a hot spot.

The Hawaiian Islands where formed by sucha hot spot occurring inthe middle of the Pacific Plate. While the hot spot itselfis fixed, the

plate is moving. So, as the plate moved over the hot spot, the string

of islands that make up the Hawaiian Island chain were formed.

The Hawaiian Islands form an archipelago that extends over a vast

area of the North Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is made up of 132islands, atolls, reefs, shallow banks, shoals, and seamounts stretching

over 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) from the island of Hawaii in thesoutheast to Kure Atoll in the northwest.

For more information:Hawaiian Archipelago, Coral Reef Information System

Seamounts and Hot Spots, New Millennium Observatory

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Web Site Owner: National Ocean Service | National Oc eanic and Atmospheric Administration | Department of Commerce | USA.govhttp://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/hawaii.html

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