Where Did the Hawaiian Islands Come From?
How Our Earth’s Unique Structure Created a Paradise!
The Hawaiian Islands are one of the most iconic sets of islands on the entire planet. Their unique shape and orientation are instantly recognizable. Each of the islands has its own local characteristics and culture. Hawaii is isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, making it an especially unique location. One of their more interesting features is how all of the major islands form a distinct line, otherwise known as a chain. As it turns out, there is a very distinct geologic reason for this.
These islands are the result of a fascinating geological phenomenon called hot spots. Hot spots are areas of intense heat and pressure deep within the mantle. This heat and pressure causes magma to move toward the surface, sometimes rising to the top. To understand how these strange locations work, we need to revisit some basic geology.
Our home planet is composed of several different layers. We live only on the very outermost layer called the crust. This layer is extremely thin and only goes about 40 kilometers down from the surface. Under the ocean, it’s closer to 5 kilometers…
