Question

the hawaiian islands and yellowstone supervolcano were both formed over fixed locations in the mantle where the magma is much hotter than in surrounding areas. the hawaiian islands are in the middle of the pacific plate. the yellowstone supervolcano is located on the north american plate. which statement below correctly identifies a similarity shared by these volcanoes? a. they are both formed at convergent plate boundaries. b. they are both located over hot spots. c. they both formed from oceanic crust. d. they are both located near subduction zones.

Explanation:

• Option A: Convergent plate boundaries involve plates colliding. Hawaiian Islands form over a hot spot (not convergent), and Yellowstone is also a hot - spot volcano (not at convergent boundary), so A is wrong.
• Option B: Both the Hawaiian Islands (formed over the Hawaiian hot spot) and Yellowstone supervolcano (formed over a hot spot under the North American Plate) are formed over hot spots. This matches the description in the question about them forming over fixed mantle locations with hotter magma.
• Option C: Yellowstone is on the North American Plate (continental crust), while Hawaiian Islands are on oceanic crust. So they don't both form from oceanic crust, C is wrong.
• Option D: Hot - spot volcanoes like these are not near subduction zones (subduction zones are at plate boundaries, these are intra - plate hot - spot volcanoes), D is wrong.

Answer:

B. They are both located over hot spots.