World’s biggest volcanoes formed

The discovery helps to better reconstruct Earth's history and understand part of the world that has captivated people's imagination. A study led by ANU has solved the 168-year-old mystery of how the world's biggest and most active volcanoes formed in Hawaii. The study found that the volcanoes formed along twin tracks due to a shift in the Pacific plate's direction three million years ago. Lead researcher Tim Jones from ANU said scientists had known of the existence of the twin volcanic tracks since 1849, but the cause of them had remained a mystery until now. "The discovery helps to better reconstruct Earth's history and understand part of the world that has captivated people's imagination," said Mr Jones, a PhD student from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences (RSES). "The analysis we did on past Pacific plate motions is the first to reveal that there was a substantial change in motion 3 million years ago. It helps to explain the origin of Hawaii, Earth's biggest volcanic hotspot and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world." Twin volcanic tracks exist in other parts of the Pacific, including Samoa, and the study found that these also emerged three million years ago.