There is a question about the distance between the Hawaiian islands.
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean.The group was formerly known as the Sandwich Islands and was named in honor of the 4th Earl of Sandwich.After crossing the Pacific Ocean on his third voyage, Cook was killed on the islands on a return visit.The name of the largest island, Hawaii Island, was the inspiration for the contemporary name.
Hawaii is not connected to North America.It is part of the Polynesia sub region.The state of Hawaii occupies the entire archipelago, with the exception of Midway Island, which is part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands.
The Hawaiian Islands are exposed peaks of a mountain range formed by volcanic activity in the Earth's mantle.The nearest continent is 1,860 miles from the islands.[3]
The date of the first settlements in the Hawaiian Islands is a topic of debate.Evidence shows a settlement as early as 125 AD.[5]
TheSandwich Islands were named in honor of John Montagu, the First Lord of the Admiralty, who was one of James Cook's sponsors.The local name "Hawaii" began to take precedence over this name in the 1840s.[7]
The total land area of the Hawaiian Islands is 16,636.5 square miles.The islands and islets are administered as Hawaii, the 50th state of the United States.[8]
The main islands of Hawaii are listed here.Only Kahoolawe is inhabited.[18]
Smaller islands, atolls, and reefs can be found west of Niihau.
The state of Hawaii has 137 islands.All minor islands and islets (very small islands) offshore of the main islands are included in this number.These are just a few.
This chain of islands, or archipelago, was formed as the Pacific Plate slowly moved northwest over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle at a rate of approximately 32 miles (51 km) per million years.The southeast island is volcanically active and older than the islands on the northwest end of the archipelago.The age of the archipelago has been estimated using dating methods.The northwesternmost island, Kure Atoll, is believed to be the oldest island in the world at approximately 28 million years old.The only active volcano in the last 200 years has been on the southeastern island of Hawaii.Recent volcanic activity is documented by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of the US Geological Survey.The eruption of Klauea stopped in August of last year.
The Hawaiian volcanoes are composed of almost all of the basalt in the hotspot.The gabbro and diabase are very coarse.It is extremely rare on the islands.The majority of eruptions in Hawaii are Hawaiian-type eruptions because basaltic magma is relatively fluid compared with the andesitic magmas that produce some of the spectacular and dangerous eruptions around the Pacific basin.
The biggest island in the chain is the Big Island.The largest shield volcano in the world is on the Big Island.The summit measurement from sea level to sea floor is more than five miles.[ 24]
volcanic activity is the cause of many earthquakes in the Hawaiian Islands.Most of the early earthquake monitoring took place in Hawaii.Between 1833 and 1896, there were between 4 and 5 earthquakes per year.[25]
From 1974 to 2003 Hawaii accounted for 7.3% of the United States' reported earthquakes with a magnitude 3.5 or greater.Alaska and California were the states with the most earthquakes over this time period.[26]
On October 15, 2006 there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 off the northwest coast of the island of Hawaii.A magnitude 5.7 aftershock followed the initial earthquake.Most of the Big Island had some damage.The effects of the rock slides were felt as far away as Honolulu, Oahu, nearly 150 miles from the epicenter.The power went out for several hours.Several water mains broke.No deaths or life-threatening injuries were reported.
Great waves hit the shore in the Hawaiian Islands.There are earthquakes in the Pacific.The waves produced by the earthquakes travel at speeds of 400–500 miles per hour and can affect coastal regions thousands of miles away.
The Hawaiian Islands may have been the source of the waves.Volcanic activity can cause earthquakes.Over a million years ago, the island of Molokai had a catastrophic collapse or debris slide.The Hilina Slump is located on the island of Hawaii.
The city of Hilo on the Big Island has been most affected by the waves.There are sirens in the coastal cities.
On February 27, 2010, there was an earthquake and a wave hitting the islands.Local emergency management officials used the latest technology and ordered people to leave their homes in preparation for a major event.It was declared a good drill by the Governor.
There was an earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011.It wasn't a big deal, but local officials ordered people to leave in case of a major event.$30.1 million was caused by the tsunami.[28]
There are many endemic species on the islands.Polynesians first introduced non native trees, plants and animals.These included species such as rats and pigs that preyed on native birds and were the first to evolve in the absence of such predators.The population of humans has led to degradation of the environment.Many species that depended on forest habitats and food became extinct.Monocultural crop production replaced multi-species systems as humans cleared land for farming.There is a citation needed.