Question

Based on the reading, how do you think the Hawaiian Island chain formed? Be sure to mention the

initial formation of the island and the direction the Pacific Plate is moving

Answer 1

Hawaii islands are not formed at tectonic boundaries, but rather at a hotspot. This is a place where hot magma, from deep in the mantle rises to the surface, and through the crust, as the Pacific tectonic plate moves towards the northwest. This magma is very hot because it rises directly from the bottom layers that are hotter than upper mantle. This hotspot is at the boundary of two convection currents in the mantle. The hotspot’s magma pierces through the crust and erupts into a volcanic mountain. The hotspot is more or less stagnant, but in comparison, the tectonic plate above it is moving. Therefore, over time, there will a chain of the mountain as the plate moves over the hotspot.