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The Hawaiian Islands are volcanic in origin. Each island is made up of at least one primary volcano, although many islands are composites of more than one. The Big Island, for instance, is constructed of 5 major volcanoes: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Hualalai and Kohala. Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on Earth. Kilauea is presently one of the most productive volcanoes on Earth (in terms of how much lava it erupts each year). The primary volcanoes on each of the islands are known as a shield volcanoes, which are gently sloping mountains produced from a large number of generally very fluid lava flows.
Hawaiian volcanoes primarily erupt a type of rock known as basalt. When molten, basalt produces liquids of relatively high fluidity, compared to volcanoes that erupt more silica rich magma types such as andesite, dacite or rhyolite. The fluidity of molten basalt favors the formation of lava flows, which is why the Hawaiian volcanoes generally have gentle sloping sides. By contrast, lavas with higher silica content are more viscous and commonly produce either thicker, shorter lava flows, thick blocky deposits and/or thick beds of ash that fall from the sky following explosive eruptions. These other types of volcanoes (common outside of Hawaii) are typically steeper sided.
The Hawaiian volcanoes were produced by the Hawaiian hot spot, which is presently under the Big Island of Hawaii. The image below shows the islands of the Hawaiian chain and the intervening shallows, banks and reefs along a line from southeast to northwest. Note that the islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe are not shown because they would "overlap" with Molokai and Maui, respectively (see the map of the Islands on the Hawaiian Volcanoes page) In general, when you move along the island chain from southeast (Hawaii) to northwest, (Kure), the volcanoes become older and older.
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Are the hawaiian islands formed at a subduction boundary?
No, the Hawaiian Islands are not formed at a subduction boundary. They are formed by a hotspot in the Earth's mantle, where magma rises to the surface and creates volcanic islands as the tectonic plate moves over the hotspot.
What type of volcanoes formed the Hawaiian islands?
The Hawaiian islands were formed by shield volcanoes, which are characterized by long, gentle sloping sides formed by low-viscosity lava flows. These volcanoes are created by the movement of the Pacific Plate over a hot spot in the Earth's mantle, resulting in a chain of volcanic islands.
What were formed in the middle of the pacific plate?
Hawaiian Islands were formed in the middle of the Pacific Plate from volcanic activity over a hotspot.
The Hawaiian islands has what type of plate boundary?
The Hawaiian Islands are located over a hotspot, where a tectonic plate moves over a stationary mantle plume. This is not a plate boundary, but rather a volcanic hotspot chain that has formed the Hawaiian Islands as the Pacific Plate moves slowly over it.
Was the Hawaiian Islands formed by erosion?
No. They were formed by what geologist call a "hot spot" under the ocean floor. As the continental plate moved across this spot, large amounts of magma was pushed up forming the islands which stretch over a thousand miles.
How were the Hawaiian formed?
It is thought that volcanoes formed the Hawaiian islands.
How were Hawaiian islands were formed?
Volcanoes formed the Hawaiian Islands over millions and millions of years.
Are the hawaiian islands formed at a subduction boundary?
No, the Hawaiian Islands are not formed at a subduction boundary. They are formed by a hotspot in the Earth's mantle, where magma rises to the surface and creates volcanic islands as the tectonic plate moves over the hotspot.
What Hawaiian Islands were formed by which constructive process?
The Hawaiian Islands are formed by the ocean structures known as submarine volcanoes. They continue to build the Pacific islands.
The Hawaiian islands were formed?
From undersea volcanoes.
What are Hawaiian Islands are formed by?
Volcanic activity.
What oceans are the Hawaiian Islands formed by?
Volcanoes.
What Hawaiian islands formed first?
The oldest Hawaiian islands are Kauai and Niihau, which are believed to have formed around 5 million years ago. These islands are located in the northwest part of the Hawaiian island chain and are considered the oldest because they were the first to emerge from the volcanic activity that formed the islands.
Describe how the Hawaiian Islands formed in the Pacific Ocean?
it was formed be volcanos
How are some islands in the ocean formed?
The Hawaiian Islands were formed and are still being formed right now by volcanic activity.
The Hawaiian Islands are formed by what ocean structures.?
Volcanoes.
Where were the Hawaiian islands formed from?
volcanic eruptions and magma
