GEO 1010 Online Activity on Continental Drift

Tracking the Hawaiian Islands: How Fast Does the Pacific Plate Move?

You know that the Earth’s crustal plates are always moving, but how fast? Each of Earth’s plates can move at a different speed, and these speeds can change over geological time. By studying rock formations along boundaries, scientists can determine how fast each plate has been moving on average over a given time period.

Today, you are going to figure out how fast the Pacific Plate is moving using information about the Hawaiian Islands. Have you ever visited a "hot spot?" A scientist named J. Tuzo Wilson noticed that some volcanoes occur in lines or rows. His theory was that the volcanoes form as small melting areas in the mantle (literally "hot" spots) and cause magma plumes to break through the crust. As the plate above the hot spot moves, new volcanoes form in a line or chain. The Hawaiian Islands are a classic example of a volcanic island chain formed by the Pacific Plate moving over a hotspot.

What are some other examples of hotspots? List at least 2 below.

Please use the Hawaiian Island Map on page 3 to see the main islands in the Hawaiian Island chain. The oldest islands are the furthest to the west from the hot spot. As the Pacific Plate moves, newer islands form. Hawaii is the youngest island and it is still being formed today; thus, Hawaii is currently at the hot spot location. The ages for three of the islands: Kauai, Molokai, and Hawaii, are given in the Data Table on page 3. With the scale on the map, you can figure out the distances between each island and the hot spot. Therefore, you will know how far the plate moved from the hotspot over time. This is all you need to calculate the rate!

Hotspots, such as the one by the Pacific Plate, exist globally, allowing scientists to calculate plate movement rates through age and distance measurements.

The Pacific Plate's movement over the Hawaiian Islands is attributed to a hotspot, where volcanic activity occurs in lines or chains. This phenomenon is not unique to the Hawaiian Islands, as there are other examples of hotspots around the world. Two notable examples include the Yellowstone hotspot in the United States, responsible for the formation of Yellowstone National Park's geothermal features, and the Reunion hotspot in the Indian Ocean, which has formed the volcanic island of Mauritius. By examining the ages of the Hawaiian Islands and measuring the distances between them and the hotspot, scientists can calculate the rate at which the Pacific Plate is moving. This information provides valuable insights into the dynamics of Earth's crustal plates and the processes shaping our planet's surface.

Learn more about Pacific Plate: https://brainly.com/question/471818

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