Hawaiian Land: The gorgeous islands of Hawaii were once a hot bed of volcanic explosions and deadly, underwater shifts in the Earth.
Each island is made up of at least one primary volcano, [which] were produced by the Hawaiian hot spot… presently under the Big Island of Hawaii. …The Pacific Ocean is mostly floored by a single tectonic plate (known as the “Pacific Plate”) that is moving over the layer in the Earth known as the Asthenosphere. This movement takes it to the northwest compared to the layers below it at a rate of 5 to 10 cm/yr (the rate depends on where you are on it). As the plate moves over a fixed spot deeper in the Earth where magma (molten lava) forms, a new volcano can punch through this plate and create an island. The Hawaiian Islands are believed to be formed from one such ‘hot spot’. As the plate moves away, the volcano stops erupting and a new one is formed in its place. With time, the volcanoes keep drifting westward and getting older relative to the one active volcano that is over the hot spot. (SOEST).
Today these islands are boasting partly sunny beaches, nice surf and highs around 79. You can catch a wave virtually on the live cams from the North Shore here!
