Kilauea Eruptions and the Hawaiian Archipelago

A surge of Mount Kilauea eruptions (May to August 2018) underscores the volcanic origin and formation of the Hawaiian Archipelago, revealing a dynamic process driven by a stationary hotspot beneath the Pacific seafloor. The study highlights how this hotspot, originating from deep within Earth's mantle, creates a line of volcanic islands as the Pacific plate moves northwestward. Beyond Hawaii, submerged seamounts like the Emperor Seamount chain and similar structures in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans demonstrate that this phenomenon is not unique to Hawaii but reflects global tectonic activity over millions of years. The research synthesizes geological evidence from multiple oceanic chains, illustrating the long-term interaction between mantle plumes and plate movements.

Wood, B. (2019). Kilauea Eruptions and the Hawaiian Archipelago. Journal of Big History, 3(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.22339/jbh.v3i1.3110