High School

Hawaii is on the Pacific Plate. If the Pacific Plate moves at a steady rate, how many total kilometers has Kauai moved from the spot where Hawaii now exists?

Answer :

Final answer:

Kauai, being 5.1 million years old and the Pacific Plate moving at 10 cm/year, Kauai has moved about 510 km from its original location by converting cm/year into km/year.

Explanation:

The Hawaiian Islands were formed as a result of the movement of a tectonic plate over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle. The Pacific Plate, upon which Hawaii is located, moves at an estimated speed of 10 cm/year on average. Kauai, being the oldest inhabited island, is about 5.1 million years old. Calculating the distance Kauai has moved would involve multiplying the age of Kauai by the speed of the Pacific Plate (5.1 million years * 10 cm/year). However, you must convert from centimeters/year to kilometers/year before calculating the total distance. One year of movement (10 cm), converts to 0.0001 km/year. Therefore, Kauai has moved about 510 km from the spot where Hawaii now exists (5.1 million years * 0.0001 km/year).

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