Question

Select three statements that provide evidence to support that the hotspot theory could explain the formation of the hawaiian-emperor seamount chain. a) Older islands are farther from the hotspot than the younger islands.

b) The oldest mountains in the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain are islands.
c) The age of the mountains increases as the distance between the mountains and Hawaii increases.
d) None of the above statements provide evidence for the hotspot theory explaining the formation of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain.

Answer 1

Evidence supporting the hotspot theory for the formation of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain includes older islands being farther from the hotspot, an increase in the age of mountains as the distance from Hawaii increases, and the specific age and distance of Kauai from the hotspot.

Step-by-step explanation:

To support the hotspot theory for the formation of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, three statements stand out:

• (a) Older islands are farther from the hotspot than the younger islands. This observation matches the hotspot theory, as the Pacific Plate moves over a stationary hotspot, creating new islands closer to the hotspot while older islands, now farther away, move with the plate.
• (c) The age of the mountains increases as the distance from the Hawaiian hotspot increases. This suggests a chronological sequence of volcano formation, aligned with the hotspot theory.
• Kauai, which is the oldest of the Hawaiian islands, provides evidence with its age of six million years and its distance from the current hotspot.

However, statement (b) does not support the hotspot theory, as the oldest mountains in the seamount chain are not necessarily islands; some may be submerged as seamounts due to erosion and subsidence over time.

Answer 2

The evidence supporting the hotspot theory in creating the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain includes older islands being farther from the hotspot, the age of the mountains increasing with distance from Hawaii, and the continuous creation of the Hawaiian island chain due to stationary hotspot volcanic activity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The three statements supporting the hotspot theory for the formation of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain are A, C, and E, indicating the age progression and fixed hotspot underlying Hawaii's volcanic activity.

The hotspot theory explains the formation of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain through the concept of a stationary magma source, known as a hotspot, beneath the Pacific Plate. As the tectonic plate moves over the hotspot, new volcanic islands are formed above it. Statement A) is supported because the generally observed pattern is that older islands are indeed farther from the current hotspot location, which is beneath the youngest islands. Furthermore, C) is accurate since the age of the seamounts and islands increases with their distance from the hotspot, suggesting a consistent, directional movement of the Pacific Plate over the hotspot. Finally, statement E) is a result of this same process, with the Hawaiian island chain being created over millions of years due to the hotspot activity. The hot spot theory is reinforced by Kauai's geological formation and the active volcanoes still present on Hawaii, showing the hotspot's ongoing role in island formation. The ages and distances of these formations from Hawaii provide clear evidence for this geologic process.