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Table 2 show the age/distance relationship of the Hawaiian Islands. Using any 2

ID: 292984 • Letter: T

Question

Table 2 show the age/distance relationship of the Hawaiian Islands. Using any 2 points from the table and calculate the rate of movement in cm per year for the Pacific Ocean Plate. Do this once. Not twice or more, just once. 2. Table 2. Distance from Kilauea (km) Age Distance from Age Kilauea (km) (Ma) La Perouse Brooks Bank Northhampton West Molokai Colahan Daikakuji Yuryaki Kauai Unnamed Figure 2. North KAUAI C3 Lihue North Koolau MOLOKAI Waianae ta A East Molokai Honolulu West Maui West Molokai Kahalui LANAI- LahainaMAUI East Maui (Haleakala) KAHOOLAWE Maurna Kea Hilo A Kilauea Pacific Ocer Hualalai Kailua-Kona Hawalian Islands A Loihi HAWAI

Explanation / Answer

The rate of movement of any plate can be calculated by knowing the distance between any two Hawaiian islands and the time taken for this drift. This principle is applicable as these hawaiian islands are formed due to the hot spots of the volcanoes and when plate movement will take place then these islands will drift apart. Using this analogy we can calculate the rate rate of movement of the tectonic plates:

Kilauea is taken as the reference and hence its distance from Kilauea is 0 kilometre and it’s age is 0 million years.

Mauna kae is 54 kilometers away fro Kilauea and is 0.375 million years old.

Rate of movement = (Distance between Mauna Kae and Kilauea)/(Time taken for the drift)

Distance between Mauna Kae and Kilauea = 54 x 1000 x 100 = 5,400,000 centimetres

Time taken for this movement = 0.375 x 1,000,000 = 375,000 years

Rate of movement in centimetres/year = 5,400,000/375,000 = 14.4 centimetres/year.