Implications of Pacific Island and seamount ages for the origin of volcanic chains

Abstract

Available age data from the Hawaiian, Marquesas, Kodiak‐Bowie, Society, Caroline, and Guadalupe chains, all WNW trending Pacific chains, follow patterns of generally increasing ages to the WNW. The inferred rates of volcanic propagation for these chains are not significantly different and apparently offer strong support for the hypothesis that volcanic chains are formed by ‘hot spots’ which do not move with respect to each other. However, age data from the Austral‐Cook chain follow no simple pattern: ages are both younger and older than would be expected from the ‘fixed hot spot’ hypothesis. Eocene and Cretaceous ages from along the Hawaiian ridge are inconsistent with the otherwise systematic age progression along this chain. The limited age data from the older NNW trending chains show little evidence of age progression. The best dated of these older chains, the Line chain, could have formed synchronously along most of its length.