The Hawai'i Hot Spot

Volcanoes developed on the Hawaiian islands as the Pacific plate moved over a hotspot (see Figure 10.10). The only active volcanoes are on the islands of Hawaii and Maui. Kīlauea is the youngest and most active, followed by Mauna Loa, which is the largest volcano on Earth. Only two more volcanoes are active in Hawaii: Hualālai and Mauna Kea. Haleakalā is the only remaining volcano on Maui. Kama'ehuakanaloa is the only known active Hawaiian submarine volcano – it is labeled Lō'ihi in Figure 10.10.

As the Pacific plate continues to move, Kama'ehuakanaloa will break the surface of the water. These are shield volcanoes rather than the stratovolcanoes introduced in Section 9.3. Consequently, the Hawaiian island volcanoes are much less explosive. They are characterized by thin lava flows that cover large areas rather than pyroclastic flows.