The Hawaiian Islands were formed as the Pacific Plate moved westward over a geologic hot spot. The most populous Hawaiian Island, Oahu, is dominated by two large shield volcanoes that range in age from two to four million years old. However, a fair number of smaller and much younger volcanic craters are also present on Oahu, such as Diamond Head Crater pictured above. These younger eruptions were also much smaller in lava output, and much more explosive in nature than the older shield lavas. The younger volcanic craters are all less than 500,000 years old. They formed after Oahu had moved well off the hot spot and the main shield volcanoes had gone dormant for at least two million years. For example, Oahu is now over 200 mi (320 km) from the still-active Kilauea, on the Big Island, consistent with the modern rate of plate motion of four inches (about 10 cm) a year. What caused these younger eruptions of the Honolulu Volcanic Series so long after the island had moved off the hot spot, their precise ages of eruption, and whether they will erupt again, are current points of research and debate among geoscientists. Photo taken on June 12, 2008. Credit: Charles W. Carrigan. (via EPOD)
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The Hawaiian Islands were formed as the Pacific Plate moved westward over a geologic hot spot. The most populous Hawaiian Island, Oahu, is dominated by two large shield volcanoes that range in age from two to four million years old. However, a fair number of smaller and much younger volcanic craters are also present on Oahu, such as Diamond Head Crater pictured above. These younger eruptions were also much smaller in lava output, and much more explosive in nature than the older shield lavas. The younger volcanic craters are all less than 500,000 years old. They formed after Oahu had moved well off the hot spot and the main shield volcanoes had gone dormant for at least two million years. For example, Oahu is now over 200 mi (320 km) from the still-active Kilauea, on the Big Island, consistent with the modern rate of plate motion of four inches (about 10 cm) a year. What caused these younger eruptions of the Honolulu Volcanic Series so long after the island had moved off the hot spot, their precise ages of eruption, and whether they will erupt again, are current points of research and debate among geoscientists. Photo taken on June 12, 2008. Credit: Charles W. Carrigan. (via EPOD)

Fuente: epod.usra.edu

Columnar basalt along the edge of the Bras de la Plaine River on the island of Reunion. More basalt is in the Earth’s crust than any other rock and oceanic hotspots, such as Reunion, are primary locations for basalt to occur. The Bras de la Plaine runs through the basalt plateau between the two volcanoes that form the oval-shaped island. The western volcano, Piton des Neiges (“Snow Peak”), has been dormant for 12,000 years. The eastern end of the island is dominated by the shield volcano Piton de la Fournaise (“Furnace Peak”), one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. More than 40% of the island is part of the Reunion National Park and is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List of significant places. Photo taken July 14, 2011. Credit: Vincent Dunogue, Stu Witmer. (via EPOD)
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Columnar basalt along the edge of the Bras de la Plaine River on the island of Reunion. More basalt is in the Earth’s crust than any other rock and oceanic hotspots, such as Reunion, are primary locations for basalt to occur. The Bras de la Plaine runs through the basalt plateau between the two volcanoes that form the oval-shaped island. The western volcano, Piton des Neiges (“Snow Peak”), has been dormant for 12,000 years. The eastern end of the island is dominated by the shield volcano Piton de la Fournaise (“Furnace Peak”), one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. More than 40% of the island is part of the Reunion National Park and is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List of significant places. Photo taken July 14, 2011. Credit: Vincent Dunogue, Stu Witmer. (via EPOD)

Fuente: epod.usra.edu

imindfuck: Stromatolites by mark i geo on Flickr. Stromatolites are structures formed by cyanobacteria. As cyanobateria go through chemical routines, the cyanobacteria became very slightly tacky, and that tackiness trapped microparticles of dust and sand, which became bound together to form weird but solid structures through many, many years  Source: “A short history of nearly everything” by Bill Bryson.
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imindfuck:

Stromatolites by mark i geo on Flickr.

Stromatolites are structures formed by cyanobacteria. As cyanobateria go through chemical routines, the cyanobacteria became very slightly tacky, and that tackiness trapped microparticles of dust and sand, which became bound together to form weird but solid structures through many, many years 

Source: “A short history of nearly everything” by Bill Bryson.

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