Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain

E21756

The Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain is a long, age-progressive line of volcanic islands and underwater mountains in the Pacific Ocean that records the movement of the Pacific Plate over a stationary mantle hotspot.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf geologic formation
hotspot track
seamount chain
aboveSeaLevelSegments Hawaiian Islands and atolls
ageProgression volcanic edifices become older to the northwest
approximateOldestAge about 80 million years
associatedWith Hawaii–Emperor plume conduit
bendAngle about 60 degrees
bendLocation near Midway Atoll
bendSignificance records change in Pacific Plate motion
displays Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
surface form: "Hawaiian–Emperor bend"
erodedToForm guyots
extendsFrom Hawaiʻi (island)
surface form: "Island of Hawaiʻi"
extendsTo Meiji Seamount near the Aleutian Trench
formedBy mantle plume volcanism
formedByProcess shield volcano construction
geologicalOrigin Hawaii hotspot
hasPart Detroit Seamount
Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
surface form: "Emperor Seamounts"

Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
surface form: "Hawaiian Ridge"

Kure Atoll
Meiji Seamount
Midway Atoll
Suiko Seamount
Yuryaku Seamount
hotspotType intraplate hotspot
length over 6000 kilometers
locatedIn Pacific Ocean
locatedOnTectonicPlate Pacific Plate
namedAfter Emperor Seamounts
Hawaiian Islands
oceanBasin Northern Pacific Ocean
surface form: "North Pacific Ocean"
oldestKnownFeature Meiji Seamount
orientation northwest–southeast
plateMotionDirectionRecorded northwestward motion of Pacific Plate
recordsMovementOf Pacific Plate
researchUse constraining plate motion histories
studying mantle plume dynamics
testing hotspot fixity hypotheses
studyMethod marine geophysical surveys
paleomagnetic measurements
radiometric dating of lavas
seafloor bathymetry mapping
submergedFeatures numerous guyots and seamounts
tectonicSetting intraplate oceanic crust
volcanicRockType basalt
volcanismCause Pacific Plate moving over relatively stationary hotspot
youngestVolcanismLocation Hawaiʻi (island)
surface form: "Island of Hawaiʻi"

Referenced by (20)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Pacific Plate containsFeature Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain displays Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
this entity surface form: "Hawaiian–Emperor bend"
Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain hasPart Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
this entity surface form: "Hawaiian Ridge"
Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain hasPart Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
this entity surface form: "Emperor Seamounts"
Punchbowl Crater isPartOf Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
this entity surface form: "Hawaiian–Emperor volcanic chain"
Waiʻanae Range isPartOf Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
this entity surface form: "Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain (hotspot system)"
Mokuʻāweoweo caldera locatedIn Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Mauna Loa locatedOn Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Honolulu Volcanic Series partOf Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Kīlauea partOf Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Mauna Kahalawai partOf Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
this entity surface form: "Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain (by origin)"
Mauna Kea partOf Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Long Mountain partOf Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
subject surface form: "Mauna Loa"
Puʻu ʻŌʻō partOfSystem Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
this entity surface form: "Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain hotspot system"
Mauna Kea volcanicArcOrBelt Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Mauna Loa volcanicArcOrBelt Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Mokuʻāweoweo caldera volcanicArcOrBelt Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Koʻolau Range volcanicField Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
West Maui Mountains volcanicField Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Hawaiian Islands volcanicOrigin Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
this entity surface form: "Hawaii hotspot"

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