Formation of the Hawaiian Islands
Formation of the Hawaiian Islands
Volcanoes, Magma, and Hot Spots
Topics
• Hawai’i
• Ring of Fire
• Hot Spots
• Decompression Melting
• The Hawai’i Hot Spot
Topics
• Hawai’i
• Ring of Fire
• Hot Spots
• Decompression Melting
• The Hawai’i Hot Spot
Hawai’i
Hawai’i
Volcanoes in the Sea
Hawaiian Archipelago
Hawaiian Archipelago
• The Hawaiian Archipelago is in the
middle of the Pacific
Hawaiian Archipelago
• The Hawaiian Archipelago is in the
middle of the Pacific
• The most isolated islands on Earth
Hawaiian Archipelago
• The Hawaiian Archipelago is in the
middle of the Pacific
• The most isolated islands on Earth
• 2400 km long
Hawaiian Archipelago
• The Hawaiian Archipelago is in the
middle of the Pacific
• The most isolated islands on Earth
• 2400 km long
• Sea floor is 5000 m deep
Polynesian
Triangle
Polynesian
Triangle
Hawaiian Archipelago
Polynesian
Triangle
Hawaiian Archipelago
Samoa
Tonga
French Polynesia
Rapa Nui
New Zealand
Arc
hip
elag
o ex
ten
ds N
W
240
0 km
Mo
stly
ato
lls
Depth of Sea Floor
Depth in meters
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Hawai’i
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Hawai’i
Maui
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Hawai’i
Maui
Kaho’olawe
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Hawai’i
Maui
Kaho’olawe
Lana’i
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Hawai’i
Maui
Kaho’olawe
Lana’i
Moloka’i
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Hawai’i
Maui
Kaho’olawe
Lana’i
Moloka’i
O’ahu
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Hawai’i
Maui
Kaho’olawe
Lana’i
Moloka’i
O’ahu
Kaua’i
Large Islands
•19 large islands
•8 major islands
Hawai’i
Maui
Kaho’olawe
Lana’i
Moloka’i
O’ahu
Kaua’i
Ni’ihau
The eight major islands are constructed of
seventeen large shield volcanoes.
Hawai’i
Hawai’i
•Lo’ihi
•Kilauea
•Mauna Loa
•Mauna Kea
•Hualalai
•Kohala
•Mahukona
Hawai’i
•Lo’ihi
•Kilauea
•Mauna Loa
•Mauna Kea
•Hualalai
•Kohala
•Mahukona
Hawai’i
•Lo’ihi
•Kilauea
•Mauna Loa
•Mauna Kea
•Hualalai
•Kohala
•Mahukona
Kohala
Hualalai
Mauna Kea
Mauna Loa
Kilauea
Maui
Maui
•Haleakala
•West Maui
Kaho’olawe
Kaho’olawe
•Kaho’olawe
Lana’i
Lana’i
•Lana’i
Moloka’i
Moloka’i
•East Moloka’i
•West Moloka’i
O’ahu
O’ahu
•Ko’olau
•Wai’anae
Kaua’i
Kaua’i
•Kaua’i (Wai’ale’ale)
Ni’ihau
Ni’ihau
•Ni’ihau
Lo’ihi
Lo’ihi
• 4000 m tall
Lo’ihi
• 4000 m tall
• 950 m below sea level
Lo’ihi
Lo’ihi
30 km southeast of Hawai’i
Ring of Fire
Next
Ring of Fire