Summary
The Hawaiian islands are part of a volcanic island chain that formed as the Pacific plate moved over a deep mantle hotspot. This project will apply new techniques to an existing dataset of geophysical profiles that span the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain. A key focus of the study will be to constrain the amount of melt that solidifies in the crust and upper mantle instead of erupting at the surface. The results will be important for understanding the formation and expansion of the Hawaiian Islands. The project will include training of graduate students and mentorship of undergraduate students