Why doesn the Hawaiian Island chain parallel the fracture zones on the floor of the Pacific Ocean?
Hawaii is mearly the latest of a series of volcanoes caused by a “hot spot” underneath the pacific plate. The hot spot is a place where the mantel of the earth rises particularly high and reaches very close to the surface causing volcanoes on whatever crust is over it. The progression of the Pacific Plate over this hot spot has caused the chain of underwater mountains which are behind the Hawaiian Islands. And in reference to your last remark Hawaii has very large earthquakes. It actually accounted for 7.3% of the United States’ earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.5 or greater between 1974 and 2003. During this same time frame it was ranked 3rd for having the most earthquakes. *Edit: If you want us to answer then let us, otherwise just go look it up yourself like you did and not ask us.
