What average speed, in centimeters/year has the Pacific plate been moving for the past 5 million years? (Hint: Speed = distance/time. Measure distance using the scratch-paper method.) Show your calculations. Purpose: Use the track of the Hawaiian hot spot to determine the speed and direction of motionof the Pacific plate.Hot SpotsHọt spotOceaniccrustHawaiiAccording to plate tectonic theory, hot spotsare mantle plumes – large columns of hot,rising mantle rock that originate in the lowermantle (Figure 1). Decompression of therising mantle rock causes partial melting. Theresulting basaltic magma then rises throughthe lithosphere above and erupts to form abasaltic volcano. The locations of hot spotsremain fixed relative to the movinglithospheric plates above. The result is a "hotspot track" - a chain of volcanoes all of whichare extinct except for the one on the end of thechain that is still over the hot spot.lithosphereDecompressionmeltingRisingmantleplumeThe Hawaiian Hot SpotFigure 1. A typical hot spot (mantle plume).Large arrow indicates direction of motion oflithospheric plate.The Hawaiian Islands are a chain of basalticshield volcanoes. The “big island" of Hawaiiis made of several overlapping volcanoes,with Kilauea being the most active. The volcanoes on the smaller islands to the northwest of thebig island are extinct. According to plate tectonic theory, the big island is currently locatedabove a hot spot. Figure 2 is a map of the Hawaiian Islands. Reap the caption for Figure 2 andstudy the map before moving on.The Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount ChainThe Hawaiian Islands lie at the southeast end of a much longer volcanic chain – the Hawaii-Emperor Seamount chain (Figure 3). Seamounts are extinct basaltic volcanoes whose peaks arenow submerged below sea level.The Hawaii-Emperor Seamount chain is interpreted as a hot spot track that is nearly 6,000 kmlong. The oldest of the Emperor Seamounts (Meiji Seamount – about 70 Ma) is located at thenorthernmost end of the chain. This end of the chain is actively being subducted down theAleutian trench (see Figure 3). The Hawaiian-Emperor chain used to be even longer, but theolder parts of the chain have already been subducted and recycled back into the mantle. Read thecaption for Figure 3 and study the map before moving on. 160158156-22°KAUAI22V4.89)NIIHAUOAHUV3.7)(2.6) MOLOKAI(1.9) (1.76)PACIFIC OCEAN1.32)10.75)LANAI(1.28)(1.03)KAHOOLAWEMAUI100200Kohala(0.43)MaunaKeakilometers2020(0.375)Hualalai-(historicallyactive)Numbers in parentheses =oldest dated rocks (millions of years)Approximate location of samplesHAWAIIMauna Loa-(active)Kilauea(active)Loihi* (active)160158156Figure 2. Map of the Hawaiian Islands. Points show the locations of basalt lava samples.Numbers in parentheses are ages of samples in millions of years (determined by radiometricdating).

Question

What average speed, in centimeters/year has the Pacific plate been moving for the past 5 million years? (Hint: Speed = distance/time. Measure distance using the scratch-paper method.) Show your calculations. Purpose: Use the track of the Hawaiian hot spot to determine the speed and direction of motionof the Pacific plate.Hot SpotsHọt spotOceaniccrustHawaiiAccording to plate tectonic theory, hot spotsare mantle plumes – large columns of hot,rising mantle rock that originate in the lowermantle (Figure 1). Decompression of therising mantle rock causes partial melting. Theresulting basaltic magma then rises throughthe lithosphere above and erupts to form abasaltic volcano. The locations of hot spotsremain fixed relative to the movinglithospheric plates above. The result is a &#34;hotspot track&#34; - a chain of volcanoes all of whichare extinct except for the one on the end of thechain that is still over the hot spot.lithosphereDecompressionmeltingRisingmantleplumeThe Hawaiian Hot SpotFigure 1. A typical hot spot (mantle plume).Large arrow indicates direction of motion oflithospheric plate.The Hawaiian Islands are a chain of basalticshield volcanoes. The “big island&#34; of Hawaiiis made of several overlapping volcanoes,with Kilauea being the most active. The volcanoes on the smaller islands to the northwest of thebig island are extinct. According to plate tectonic theory, the big island is currently locatedabove a hot spot. Figure 2 is a map of the Hawaiian Islands. Reap the caption for Figure 2 andstudy the map before moving on.The Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount ChainThe Hawaiian Islands lie at the southeast end of a much longer volcanic chain – the Hawaii-Emperor Seamount chain (Figure 3). Seamounts are extinct basaltic volcanoes whose peaks arenow submerged below sea level.The Hawaii-Emperor Seamount chain is interpreted as a hot spot track that is nearly 6,000 kmlong. The oldest of the Emperor Seamounts (Meiji Seamount – about 70 Ma) is located at thenorthernmost end of the chain. This end of the chain is actively being subducted down theAleutian trench (see Figure 3). The Hawaiian-Emperor chain used to be even longer, but theolder parts of the chain have already been subducted and recycled back into the mantle. Read thecaption for Figure 3 and study the map before moving on. 160158156-22°KAUAI22V4.89)NIIHAUOAHUV3.7)(2.6) MOLOKAI(1.9) (1.76)PACIFIC OCEAN1.32)10.75)LANAI(1.28)(1.03)KAHOOLAWEMAUI100200Kohala(0.43)MaunaKeakilometers2020(0.375)Hualalai-(historicallyactive)Numbers in parentheses =oldest dated rocks (millions of years)Approximate location of samplesHAWAIIMauna Loa-(active)Kilauea(active)Loihi* (active)160158156Figure 2. Map of the Hawaiian Islands. Points show the locations of basalt lava samples.Numbers in parentheses are ages of samples in millions of years (determined by radiometricdating).

Accepted Answer

As location of hotspot remains fixed relative to plate motion and also Hawaiian big island is…