How was the Hawaiian Islands created?

The Hawaiian Islands were created primarily by volcanic eruptions under the ocean. This process is known as hotspot volcanism. The Hawaiian hotspot is a stationary plume of molten rock that rises from the mantle beneath the Earth's crust. As the Pacific Plate moves over this hotspot, magma seeps through the crust, leading to volcanic eruptions that form islands over time.

When a volcano builds up enough material to reach above sea level, it creates an island. The Hawaiian Islands formed as the Pacific Plate has moved northwestward over the hotspot, causing successive volcanic eruptions that created each island. The island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, is currently located over the hotspot, which is why it remains an active volcanic region.

Other options, such as earthquakes and erosion, do not accurately describe the primary process responsible for the formation of the islands. Tectonic plate movement, while crucial in the context of volcanic activity and the positioning of the islands, is not the direct cause of the islands' creation; rather, it relates to the movement of the Pacific Plate over the stationary hotspot.