Page 81 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

SINKING ISLANDS 1 2 3
As a volcanic island is carried
off the hotspot and stops
erupting, the rock beneath it
cools down. The rock shrinks
as it cools, and this makes the
island start sinking. Coral reefs
that have formed around it sink
too, but so slowly that the coral Volcanic island Island sinks Atoll forms
can grow upward at the same A hotspot volcano forms a cone Earth’s crust sinks as it cools below All the volcanic rock above sea level
rate. Eventually, the original of volcanic rock. This stands on the an extinct volcano, but surrounding vanishes, but the coral reef forms
volcano disappears, leaving just ocean floor, which is pushed up by coral keeps growing. Meanwhile, a ring of sandy islands around a
a ring of coral called an atoll. the hot mantle rock below. the cone is eroded by the weather. central lagoon—an atoll.

Hawaii’s Big Island lies Kilauea volcano on The huge volcanoes
above the hotspot, which the southern flank of that form Hawaii rise
fuels eruptions from its two the island is the world’s from the ocean floor. A new volcano called Loihi is
southern volcanoes. most active volcano. erupting from the ocean floor
just south of Hawaii. Eventually,
Maui has moved off the it will form a new island.
hotspot—its volcano last
erupted about 200 years ago.
At the top of the
hot mantle plume
the rock melts, and
erupts from volcanoes.

FIRE AND STEAM
COLOSSAL

ISLAND

ASSEMBLY LINE

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