Hawaii formed from volcanic rock. Why is Hawaii a series of islands?

Question

-A tectonic plate is carrying a volcanic hot spot along the ocean floor.
-The islands formed from a row of volcanic hotspots on the ocean floor
-The islands formed as a volcanic hotspot that spread and erupted over a large area
-A tectonic plate is moving over a volcanic hot spot underneath it.

Answer 1

The correct explanation for why Hawaii is a series of islands is: A tectonic plate is moving over a volcanic hot spot underneath it.

In more detail, the Pacific Plate is moving northwest over a stationary volcanic hotspot in the Earth's mantle. As the plate moves, the hotspot generates magma that creates volcanic islands. As the Pacific Plate continues to shift, new islands form while older, inactive ones erode and subside. This process has resulted in the linear chain of islands that make up the Hawaiian archipelago.