The Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain is a series of volcanoes and seamounts extending about across the Pacific Ocean.The great-circle distance, or shortest distance from Kamaʻehuakanaloa Seamount at the southern end of the chain to Meiji Seamount at the northern end of the chain, via the chain bend at Daikakuji Seamount, is . (source: NOAA Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculator ).

The chain was produced by the movement of the ocean crust over the Hawaii hotspot, an upwelling of hot rock from the Earth's mantle.

As the oceanic crust moves the volcanoes farther away from their source of magma, their eruptions become less frequent and less powerful until they eventually cease to erupt altogether. At that point, erosion of the volcano and subsidence of the seafloor cause the volcano to gradually diminish.

As the volcano sinks and erodes, it first becomes an atoll island and then an atoll. Further subsidence causes the volcano to sink below the sea surface, becoming a seamount. This list documents the most significant volcanoes in the chain, ordered by distance from the hotspot, but there are many others that have yet to be properly studied.

The chain can be divided into three subsections. The first, the main windward Hawaiian islands consist of the eight youngest and easternmost Hawaiian islands. This is the youngest part of the chain and includes volcanoes with ages ranging from 400,000 years to 5.1 million years. The island of Hawaii comprises five volcanoes, of which two (Kilauea and Mauna Loa) are still active. Kamaʻehuakanaloa Seamount (formerly Lōihi) continues to grow offshore, and is the only known volcano in the chain in the submarine pre-shield stage.

The second part of the chain is composed of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, collectively referred to as the Leeward isles, the constituents of which are between 7.2 and 27.7 million years old. Erosion has long since overtaken volcanic activity at these islands, and most of them are atolls, atoll islands, and extinct islands. They contain many of the most northerly atolls in the world, including Kure Atoll, the northernmost atoll in the world.

The oldest and most heavily eroded part of the chain are the Emperor seamounts, which are 39 to 85 million years old.

The Emperor and Hawaiian chains are separated by a large L-shaped bend that causes the orientations of the chains to differ by about 60 degrees. This bend was long attributed to a relatively sudden change in the direction of plate motion, but research conducted in 2003 suggests that it was the movement of the hotspot itself that caused the bend. , the issue is still under debate.Sharp et al., 2006, Initiation of the bend near Kimmei seamount about 50 million years ago (MA) was coincident with realignment of Pacific spreading centers and early magmatism in western Pacific arcs, consistent with formation of the bend by changed Pacific plate motion.

All of the volcanoes in this part of the chain have long since subsided below sea level, becoming seamounts and guyots (see also: the seamount and guyot stages of Hawaiian volcanoes). Many of the volcanoes are named after former emperors of Japan. The seamount chain extends to the West Pacific, and terminates at the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench, a subduction zone at the border of Russia.

Hawaiian archipelago Name Island Last eruption Coordinates Age (years) Notes Kamaʻehuakanaloa Seamount (formerly Lōihi) Seamount The seamount is a submarine volcano approximately southeast of Hawaii. It may eventually breach sea level and become the newest Hawaiian island. Pre-press version Kīlauea Big Island 2021–ongoing (active) Kīlauea is considered one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. Kīlauea, was in near-continuous eruption on its East Rift Zone from January 3, 1983, to September 4, 2018, making it the longest-lived rift-zone eruption of the last six centuries. Mauna Loa Big Island Largest subaerial volcano on Earth Hualālai Big Island 1800– Lies on the western edge of the Big Island Mauna Kea Big Island World's tallest mountain if below-sea elevation is counted Kohala Big Island Oldest volcano that remains part of the island of Hawaii Māhukona Seamount Submerged, having long since disappeared into the sea Haleakalā Maui Forms more than 75% of Maui West Maui Maui Very eroded shield volcano that makes up the western quarter of Maui Kahoolawe Kahoolawe Smallest of the 8 principal Hawaiian islands; uninhabitedBlock Group 9, Census Tract 303.02, Maui County United States Census Bureau Lānai Lānai Sixth-largest island The only town is Lānaʻi City, a small settlement. East Molokaʻi Molokai The northern half of this volcano suffered a large collapse 1.5 million years ago. Only the southern half remains above the sea today. West Molokai Molokai Penguin Bank Seamount The seamount is a submarine volcano, southwest of Molokai. The submarine volcano used to be part of Maui Nui, a prehistoric island made from seven shield volcanoes. Koolau Range Oahu These volcanoes experienced a 'rejuvenation' phase significantly after their primary eruptions ended, for reasons unknown. Ko'olau originally erupted from 2.5-1.7 MYA, before entering into a dormancy period until roughly 500,000 years ago, and may possibly remain active. Kaua'i similarly erupted mainly 5 MYA, with a notably short period of secondary eruptions 1,430,000 to 1,410,000 years ago. A fragmented remnant of the eastern or windward shield volcano, which also suffered a large collapse sometime before the Molokai collapse Waianae Range Oahu The eroded remains of a shield volcano that comprised the western half of the island Kaena Ridge Oahu The eroded remains of a shield volcano west of Waianae that has since subsided below sea level Kaʻula Kaʻula Tiny crescent-shaped barren island; uninhabited except for divers and fishermen Niihau Niihau Smallest inhabited island; Kauai Kauai Oldest and fourth largest of the main islands, and home to Mount Waialeale, one of the wettest areas on Earth in terms of precipitation

Northwestern Hawaiian islands Name Type Coordinates Age Notes Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Nīhoa Extinct Island Small rocky island which supported a small population around 1000 CE; features over 80 cultural sites, including religious places, agricultural terraces, and burial caves Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Necker Island Extinct Island Small deserted island with Hawaiian religious shrines and artifacts French Frigate Shoals Atoll Largest atoll in the northwestern Hawaiian islands East Brooks Bank Guyot at a depth of below sea level Central Brooks Bank Guyot at a depth of below sea level West Brooks Bank Guyot at a depth of below sea level Saint Rogatien Bank Guyot at a depth of below sea level Gardner Pinnacles Atoll Island Two barren rock outcrops surrounded by a reef Raita Bank Guyot at a depth of below sea level Maro Reef Atoll Largest coral reef of the northwestern Hawaiian islands Laysan Atoll Island Originally named "Kauō" meaning egg, referring to its shape, and home to one of only five natural lakes in all of Hawaii Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Northampton Seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Pioneer Tablemount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Lisianski Island Atoll Island A small island surrounded by a huge coral reef nearly the size of Oahu; named after a captain in the Russian navy whose ship ran aground there in 1805 Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Unnamed seamounts Guyot pair of guyots at a depth of and below sea level Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Salmon Bank Guyot at a depth of below sea level Pearl and Hermes Atoll Atoll Island A collection of small, sandy islands, with a lagoon and coral reef; named after two whaling ships which were wrecked on the reef in 1822 Unnamed seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Ladd Seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Midway Atoll Atoll Island Consists of a ring-shaped barrier reef and two large islets; named "Midway" because of its strategic location in the center of the Pacific Ocean, and was the site of a key battle during World War II Nero Seamount Guyot at a depth of below sea level Kure Atoll Atoll Northernmost coral atoll in the world

Emperor seamounts Name Type Summit Depth Coordinates Age Notes East Windward Guyot Academician Berg Guyot West Windward Guyot Helsley Guyot Named after Charles Helsley, a researcher at the University of Hawaii. Also named Zapadnaya Seamount. East Townsend Cromwell Seamount Townsend Cromwell Seamount Named after Townsend Cromwell, a prominent oceanographer. Hancock Seamount De Veuster Seamount possibly named after Father Damien (born Jozef De Veuster), a Roman Catholic Priest in Hawaii during the late 19th century. Colahan Seamount Abbott Seamount Daikakuji Guyot Located at the bend in the L-shaped chain of seamounts. Also the name of a Japanese temple Kammu Guyot Named after Emperor Kammu, former ruler of Japan (781–806) Yuryaku Guyot Named after Emperor Yūryaku, former ruler of Japan (~456–479) Goshirakawa Guyot Named after Emperor Go-Shirakawa, former ruler of Japan (1155–1158) Gosanjo Guyot Named after Emperor Go-Sanjō, former ruler of Japan (1068–1073) Toba Guyot Named after Emperor Toba, former ruler of Japan (1107–1123) Genji Seamount Named after Hikaru Genji, the protagonist of the classic Japanese work, The Tale of Genji. Kimmei Seamount Named after Emperor Kimmei, former ruler of Japan (539–571) Unnamed Seamount Seamount Koko Guyot Named after Emperor Kōkō, former ruler of Japan (884–887) Unnamed Guyot Guyot Ojin Guyot Named after Emperor Ōjin, former ruler of Japan (~270–310) Jingu Guyot Named after Empress Jingū, former ruler of Japan (~201–269) Nintoku Guyot Named after Emperor Nintoku, former ruler of Japan (~313–399) Ninigi Seamount Named after Ninigi-no-Mikoto, a god in Japanese mythology. Godaigo Seamount Named after Emperor Go-Daigo, former ruler of Japan (1318–1339) Yomei Guyot Named after Emperor Yōmei, former ruler of Japan (540–587) Showa Guyot Named after Hirohito (Emperor Shōwa), former ruler of Japan (1926–1989) Soga Guyot Named after Emperor Saga, former ruler of Japan (809–823) Suiko Seamount Named after Empress Suiko, former ruler of Japan (592–628) Winnebago Guyot Tenji Guyot Named after Emperor Tenji, former ruler of Japan (661–672) Detroit Seamount Well-documented seamount, second-oldest. Rock from lava flows show that while Detroit Seamount was on the hotspot, activity coming from the volcano continued for the next 18 million years. Meiji Seamount Named after Emperor Meiji, former ruler of Japan (1867–1912); oldest known seamount in the chain

Notes

References

External links This abstract contains preliminary data for several of the seamount dates; these dates are revised in the subsequent paper (as reported above):