Hawaii islands?

Question

why is that the islands of hawaii are linear?

Answer 1

Aloha,blue turtle,

By "linear" I assume you mean why do the islands run in more or less straight line from SE to NW?

All of the Hawaiian Islands have been  created from a single source, or "hot spot," that is now immediately under the Island of Hawaii (Big Island). The hot spot has been pushing up magma for about 32 million years. What creates the "chain" of the islands is the fact that the Pacific tectonic plate moves across the hot spot in a NW direction ... at a top speed of approx 1 inch/year. As the created islands move away from the hot spot they are already deteriorating and continue to do so until they absolutely disappear on the surface. The Hawaiian chain is approx 1500 miles long. Kure is considered to be the most northwesterly Islet.

Probably more than you wanted to know about that.

Answer 2

Volcanoes often form linear chains and you can see from the many maps below of clustered volcanoes that it happens this way in a lot of places. http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/i...

They form around "rift zones" and the magma is pooled along those zones. Think of it as a growing process.

http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/i-map/i2809/

Since I never took a class in Earth Science or Geology, I can't tell you anything more. Perhaps someone else can explain it better.

Answer 3

they are a result of a volcanic eruption

Answer 4

The tectonic plate on which the Hawaiian Islands sit is moving steadily Northwestwards. In doing so is passes over a "Hot Spot" where the inner molten magma is closer to the surface.

There is a new island being formed under the sea at present and there have been time estimates as to when it will appear above the water to be an actual island.