The chain of Hawaiian islands can be used to calculate the rate of movement of the Pacific Plate over the last few million years
. The island of Hawaii currently sits on the hot spot and is therefore 0 million years old. The island of Kauai used to sit on the hot spot; it is approximately 5.1 million years old and is now approximately 473 km away from the hot spot, to the northwest. Given these parameters, what is the average rate of motion of the Pacific Plate in cm per year?
By measuring the length of the volcanic chain and the time interval between the formation of the oldest structure and the youngest structure, an average speed of plate movement can be calculated.
