Question

1. the hawaiian islands are a volcanic island chain in the pacific ocean. they are located near the center of the pacific plate, where new islands form as the plate passes over a fixed hot spot in the earth’s mantle.

circle the letters of the likely future outcomes for the hawaiian islands over a long period of time.
a. there will be no changes to the islands—it is a static system.
b. new islands will form as the pacific plate moves over the hot spot.
c. older islands will grow larger as they move farther from the hot spot.
d. the youngest island will grow larger as lava erupts onto its surface.
e. older islands will erode and will become smaller landmasses over time.
f. a divergent plate boundary will create a ridge through the center of the island chain.
(image: diagram of pacific plate, hawaiian ridge, zone of magma formation. source: u.s.g.s. 1997)

Explanation:

The Hawaiian Islands form over a fixed mantle hot spot as the Pacific Plate moves. Younger islands over the hot spot grow via volcanic eruptions (D). Older islands move away from the hot spot, stop growing, and erode over time (E). Volcanoes are active (A is wrong); new islands form as the plate moves (B is wrong); older islands shrink (C is wrong); it’s a hot spot, not a divergent boundary (F is wrong).

Answer:

D. The youngest island will grow larger as lava erupts onto its surface, E. Older islands will erode and will become smaller landmasses over time.