What explains how the Hawaiian Islands formed as a chain?

Question

The Pacific plate moves over a stationary hotspot exuding lava that created a chain of islands.

Volcanic hotspots appear spontaneously along the Pacific plate exuding lava that created a chain of islands.

The Hawaiian hotspot moved under the Pacific plate exuding lava that created a chain of islands.

The Hawaiian Islands were formed by tectonic uplifting of the Pacific plate.

Answer 1

The correct explanation for how the Hawaiian Islands formed as a chain is:

The Pacific plate moves over a stationary hotspot exuding lava that created a chain of islands.

This process occurs because as the Pacific plate moves in a northwestward direction over a stationary hotspot in the Earth's mantle, magma rises from the hotspot and erupts to form islands. Over time, as the plate continues to move, new islands are formed while older islands gradually become inactive and erode. This results in a chain of islands that is oriented in the direction of the plate movement.