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The West Coast & Hawaii
About 138 million years ago, geologic processes fractured the Pangea supercontinent, opening the Atlantic Ocean. You can visit the "pivot point" of this rupture where it surfaces in Iceland (see Other Exotic Locales gallery). This massive rift (mid-Atlantic Ridge) caused geologic stresses to build up along the rim of the Pacific Ocean creating a so-called "Ring of Fire". The resulting tectonic forces, in the form of volcanoes and earthquakes, have molded rugged coastlines, coastal mountains, and scenic river valleys from California to Oregon and Washington. Unlike the interior of North America (see American West gallery), these landforms are relatively young and still building.
In this region, the Hawaiian islands occupy center stage, literally, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This beautiful volcanic archipelago provides a real-life study in the process of volcanic succession. Kauai, the oldest of the eight main Hawaiian islands, sits at the westernmost end of the chain. Its long dormant volcanoes have been sculpted into colorful rainforest canyons and white sand beaches. The island of Hawaii, also called "The Big Island", occupies the easternmost position in the chain. Active volcanoes continue to add new land to the Big Island. Its Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes are the largest mountains on earth. Mount Everest is a smaller cousin by comparison! Mauna Kea soars 33,500 feet from the ocean floor--13,803 feet of its massive volcanic bulk above sea level. The Hawaiian Island chain has it all from verdant rain forests and tropical beaches to volcanic deserts and cattle-grazing grasslands.
Interesting note: The Big Island of Hawaii, like Yellowstone (see American West gallery), sits above a "geologic hot spot"--the exit point for a voluminous magma chamber. But, unlike Yellowstone, which harbors a catastrophic explosive potential, Hawaii's more fluid basaltic flows are relatively tame. Mauna Loa recently (December 2022) reawakened after 40 years of slumber.
