If one looks over to the Midway Islands one will see the island atolls on the extreme of the Hawaiian archipelago that has long since moved past the Hawaiian hotspot. The hot spot is constantly bursting to the surface with volcanos while the earth's crust is sliding over the massive magma plume deep below.
Hawaii offers volcanoes like nowhere else on earth. It boasts some of the world's most active volcanoes - two of which are in the Hawaiin Volcanoes National Park. The Hawaiian Islands even has the world's largest shield volcano called Mauna Loa and it's so large it's sunken the world's crust there.
The Hawaiian Hot Spot And Island Chain
All the active volcanoes are in the southeastern end of the Hawaiian islands in and around Hawaiian Island. But these islands will slide away, their volcanoes will go silent, and they will weather back into the sea. In their place will be new islands. The next island already has a name and is called Lōʻihi.
The hot spot is believed to be 70 to 85 million years old while the crust (the Pacific Plate) over the hot spot is moving at a rate of around 7 cm or 2.75 inches per year - around the speed that fingernails grow.
- Age: The Hot Spot Is 70-85 Million Years Old
- Movement: Around 7 cm or 2.75 Inches Per year
Hawaii has six main islands and four active volcanos (five active volcanos if one includes the subterranean Lōʻihi. There are also two dormant volcanoes and at least 123 extinct volcanoes.
- Active: 4 Active Volcanoes
- Dormant: 2 Dormant Volcanoes
- Extinct: 123 Extinct Volcanoes (At Least)
Meet Hawaii's Future Island of Lōʻihi
Today Lōʻihi is a seamount and is an active submarine volcano. It is around 22 miles or 35 kilometers southeast of the coast of the island of Hawaii.
Lōʻihi Seamount:
- Beneath Sea Level: Around 3,200 feet (975 meters) beneath sea level
- Above Sea Bed: 10,000 feet or 3,000 meters above the sea bed
- Location: Around 22 Miles or 35 Kilometers Southeast of The Island of Hawaii
- Age: Around 400,000 Years Old (The Youngest Volcano In Hawaii)
- Future Emergence: Will Become an Island 10,000 to 100,000 Years From Now
- Growth Rate: Perhaps around 0.1 Feet Per Year Measured Over Geologic Time
It still has a long way to go until it becomes an island as it is still around 3,200 ft (975 m) below sea level. But it is rising with every passing volcanic eruption. Lōʻihi consists of a summit area with three pit craters on a rift zone around 7 miles long. The summit's pit craters are called West Pit, East Pit, and Pele's Pit.
Lōʻihi is the youngest of the volcanoes in the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain (a massive chain that extends around 3,900 mi (6,200 km) northwest of Lōʻihi).
- Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain: Around 3,900 mi (6,200 km) Long
Lōʻihi is believed to be around 400,000 years ago and has already risen over 10,000 feet or 3,000 meters above the seafloor. Projections have it that it will take another 10,000 to 100,000 years for the subterranean volcano to come to the surface and be Hawaii's youngest island.
Even though it is still nearly a kilometer below the surface of the ocean, it is already taller than what Mount St. Helens was between it erupted in 1980. In 1996 Lōʻihi experiences a swarm of earthquakes. Its last known eruption was in 1996.
If the growth rate for Lōʻihi is the same as that of other Hawaiian volcanoes, then one can expect it to grow at around 0.1 feet per year - as averaged over geologic time.
Still, it is also possible that it will never emerge from sea level if it grows quite as other volcanoes spout up. It is a reminder that in our lives the world may seem in balance and stable, but in geologic time it is always changing.
Lōʻihi Is Already An Alien World Of Hydrovents
While Lōʻihi may not yet be an island, it already supports a diverse microbial community around its many hydrothermal vents. Hydrothermal vents offer a fascinating glimpse into a strange alien world beneath the waves. They were only discovered in the 1970s and have redefined our understanding of the requirements for life.
- Hydrothermal Vents: Much Like Geysers or Hot Springs - Just On The Ocean Floor
- Origin Of Life: Could Have Begun At Thermal Vents
- Unique Creatures: It Seems Some Creatures Are Found Only At The Thermal Vents
The discovery and study of these alien watery ecosystems in extreme environments independent of the sun.
Lōʻihi is not as diverse with larger marine life compared to other less active seamounts. So life on its hydrothermal vents tends to be more microbial. Still, there is some marine life on the seamount including Celebes monkfish, eels, two species of invertebrates endemic to the hydrothermal vents, and other species.