Exploring the Big Island of Hawaii | Geology & Island Evolution

I spent a week on the Big Island of Hawaii exploring the history, culture, and—of course—the geology! Join me on this geology adventure to learn about the processes that have been building and destroying the hawaiian islands for millions of years.

Ever wondered how the Hawaiian Islands formed, or what makes the Big Island such a unique and active geological wonder? This video takes you on a deep dive into the science of island building, exploring everything from hotspots and mantle plumes to lava tubes, black & green sand beaches, and the devastating 2018 Kīlauea eruption that changed the island forever.

In this video, we answer:
How did the Hawaiian Islands form?
What is the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount chain, and what does it tell us about tectonic plates?
What exactly are hotspots and mantle plumes, and how do they drive volcanic activity in the middle of tectonic plates?
What’s the difference between interplate and intraplate volcanism?
Where are the places volcanism occur all over the world?
What’s an atoll, and how does it form over time?
Why are shield volcanoes like Mauna Loa different from stratovolcanoes?
What are the major volcanoes on the Big Island?
How do lava tubes form, and what can they tell us about past eruptions?
What causes Hawaii's colorful sand beaches — black, green, and white?
What is a tuff ring, and how do explosive volcanic events create them?
How do volcanoes shape Hawaiian biodiversity, creating isolated habitats for unique species?

From plate tectonics to the ecosystems shaped by eruptions, this is your all-in-one guide to understanding the incredible geology of the Big Island of Hawaii.

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#HawaiiGeology #BigIsland #Volcanoes #Kilauea #NaturalDisasters #LavaTubes #BlackSandBeach #greensandbeach #PlateTectonics #ScienceExplained #EarthScience #womeninstem #nationalpark


Resources:

https://www.geomar.de/en/discover/mar...

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/new...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2...

https://animations.geol.ucsb.edu/1_Do...
Special thanks to Tanya Atwater for many of the animations in this video

https://www.geomar.de/en/discover/mar...

https://www2.hawaii.edu/~nasir/