Final answer:
Islands farther from a mantle plume are older because tectonic plate movement creates newer islands closer to the hotspot, while older islands move away and are subject to erosion and weathering.
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer to the question is B. older. The farther away an island is from the mantle plume, the older the island is. This is because mantle plumes are volcanic hotspots that generate new islands through volcanic activity.
As the island moves away from the mantle plume, it becomes older as new volcanic activity occurs closer to the plume.
The farther away from the mantle plume an island is, the older the island is. This is because as a tectonic plate moves over a mantle plume, a hotspot forms and erupts, creating volcanic islands.
As the plate continues to move, the islands move with it, away from the hotspot. Over time, newer islands form closer to the mantle plume, while the older islands, now farther away, tend to be more eroded and smaller due to the effects of weathering and age.