Hot Spot Theory
Hawaii is geologically a unique place on Earth because it is caused by a 'hot spot.' There are few 'hot spots' on Earth and the one under Hawaii is right in the middle of one of the largest tectonic plates on Earth - The Pacific Plate. The Earth's surface consists of about a dozen slabs or plates, about 50 miles thick. These plates move a few inches per year. The Hotspot does not move. The Pacific Plate does. The plate carries the islands in a northeasterly direction.