EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Prior to 42 million years ago, the Pacific Plate was moving northward, forming volcanic islands that are now the Emperor Seamounts. The plate motion has changed to northwestward, forming the Hawaiian Ridge and Hawaiian Islands.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Hawaiian Islands were formed by such a hot spot occurring in the middle of the Pacific Plate. While the hot spot itself is 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.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Hawaiian Islands were formed by a volcanic hot spot, an upwelling plume of magma, that creates new islands as the Pacific Plate moves over it.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Hawaiian Islands are a classic example. The active hot spot lies near the center of the Pacific plate, under the southeastern end of the Island chain. The rising magma plumes and subsequent eruptions have created the Island chain.

Detailed explanation-5: -Tectonic Plates and Active Volcanoes of the World: Most active volcanoes are located along or near the boundaries of Earth’s shifting tectonic plates. Hawaiian volcanoes, however, occur in the middle of the Pacific Plate and are formed by volcanism over the Hawaiian “Hot Spot” (see text).