The Hawaiian Island archipelago is located in the central pacific and extends 1,500 miles from the island of Hawai'i, known as the big island, to the Kure Atoll, 100 miles west of the international date line. The archipelago is a part of the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain which was formed by the northwestern movement of the pacific tectonic plate over a volcanic "hot spot" in the earth's mantle.
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
The Northwest Hawaiian Islands stretch from Ni'ihau and Kaua'i to the Kure Atoll. The islands consist mainly of atolls and small islands. According to the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife, the ages of these islands ranges from 7.2 to 27.7 million years.
The Eight Major Islands
The northwestern movement of the pacific tectonic plate over a volcanic hot spot in the earth's mantle has resulted in the formation of the eight major Hawaiian Islands over a period of 5 million years. The islands in the chain farthest to the northwest are the oldest and those in the southeast the youngest. The island of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau are about 5 million years old. O'ahu, the next island moving southeast, is approximately 3 million years old. Next, Maui, Kaho'olawe, Lana'i and Moloka'i are around 1.5 million years old. Lastly, Hawai'i, the big island, is half a million years old and still forming.
Lo'ihi, the Next Hawaiian Island
Lo'ihi is an undersea volcano erupting to become the next island in the Hawaiian Island Chain. It is located 22 miles off the southeast coast of the big island and situated 3,000 feet below sea level. According to the Smithsonian Institute, Lo'ihi will reach the surface and become an island in 10,000 to 100,000 years.
Tags: million years, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Island, earth mantle, Kure Atoll, movement pacific, movement pacific tectonic
