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Plate loss gave chain of Pacific islands and seamounts a bend

Shift in mantle flow repositioned magma plume responsible for Hawaii

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SHARP TURN  The sharp bend in the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain formed after a sinking tectonic plate redirected the mantle flowing underneath the Pacific Ocean, new research suggests.

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By Thomas Sumner

- More than 2 years ago

The disappearance of a tectonic plate into Earth’s interior may be responsible for the distinctive bend in the chain of underwater mountains and islands that includes the Hawaiian archipelago.