How were the Hawaiian islands formed?

The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanic activity. The Hawaiian Emperor seamount chain is a well-known example of a large seamount and island chain created by hot-spot volcanism. Each island or submerged seamount in the chain is successively older toward the northwest. read more

The Hawaiian Islands are volcanic in origin, and they formed millions of years ago. According to the National Ocean Service, the islands developed because of a hot spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. read more

The Hawaiian Islands are volcanic in origin. Each island is made up of at least one primary volcano, although many islands are composites of more than one. The Big Island, for instance, is constructed of 5 major volcanoes: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Hualalai and Kohala. read more