the oldest of hawaii's volcnic islands are those that.
(a)are a short distance past the hotspot.
(b)are the farthest distance from the hotspot.
(c)are on top of the hotspot
(d)have not yet reached the hotspot
The oldest of Hawaii's volcanic islands are those that (b) are the farthest distance from the hotspot.
The correct answer is (b) are the farthest distance from the hotspot.
Explanation:
Hawaii's volcanic islands are formed due to a hotspot, which is a plume of hot mantle material that rises through the Earth's crust. As the tectonic plate moves over the stationary hotspot, a new volcanic island is formed. The oldest island in the chain is the farthest distance from the hotspot because it was the first one to form when the tectonic plate was located over the hotspot. As the plate moves, newer islands are formed closer to the hotspot, and the older islands become more distant. So, the oldest of Hawaii's volcanic islands are those that are the farthest distance from the hotspot.
To determine which of Hawaii's volcanic islands are the oldest, we need to understand the process of island formation in the Hawaiian hotspot chain.
The Hawaiian Islands were formed by a geologic hotspot, where a column of hot molten rock rises from deep within the Earth's mantle. As the Pacific tectonic plate moves over the stationary hotspot, a chain of volcanic islands is created. The hotspot remains fixed while new volcanic islands are formed in a progressive manner.
The oldest of Hawaii's volcanic islands are those that have moved the farthest away from the hotspot. This is because as the Pacific plate moves, new volcanic activity occurs closer to the hotspot. Over time, this results in the formation of a chain of islands, with the youngest being closest to the hotspot and the oldest being the farthest away.
So, the answer to the question is (b) - the oldest of Hawaii's volcanic islands are those that are the farthest distance from the hotspot.