Hawaii was formed from a hotspot where magma plumes upward through the middle of a tectonic plate instead of seeping out at a plate boundary.
Hawaii's unique geological origin is attributed to a hotspot—a stationary area of intense volcanic activity beneath the Earth's crust. In contrast to traditional plate boundary volcanism, where magma erupts along the edges of tectonic plates, a hotspot involves the upward movement of magma through the middle of a tectonic plate. As the Pacific Plate drifts over the stationary hotspot, magma rises, creating a chain of volcanic islands.
The continuous eruption and solidification of lava over millions of years have given rise to the Hawaiian archipelago, with each island marking a sequential stage in the plate's movement over the hotspot. The most active volcano, Kilauea, exemplifies the ongoing volcanic processes associated with Hawaii's hotspot, contributing to the dynamic geological landscape of the islands.