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| Detailed Reference Information |
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Wright, T.L. and Clague, D.A. (1989). Petrology of Hawaiian lava. In: The eastern Pacific Ocean and Hawaii. Winterer, E.L., Hussong, D.M. and Decker, R.W. (Editors), Geol. Soc. Am., Denver. 218-237. |
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The Hawaiian Islands occupy a unique place in igneous petrology. Early in the development of the science, Hawaii was recognized as a locale of petrologic significance, because of its active and approachable volcanoes, its location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean far from any continental crust, and its wide variety of volcanic rock types. Long before plate tectonics, the Hawaiian Islands were inferred to have formed in an orderly progression from northwest to southeast. Early workers also recognized that the islands were distributed in a way that defined parallel, but offset, segments related to tectonic controls (see Fig. 12, Clague and Dalrymple, this chapter). Early visitors to Kilauea outlined in vivid descriptions the general nature of Hawaiian eruptions, and early visits to the bubbling lava at Halemaumau resulted in gas collections that still rank among the best ever obtained from an active volcano (Greenland, 1987). With the advent of the plate tectonics concept, the Hawaiian chain was recognized as a classic example of mid-plate volcanism. The orderly progression of volcanism was quantified by radiometric dating, and the known history of the chain was extended by recognition that it includes the long-submerged Emperor Seamounts extending to the northwest past Midway Island (cf. Clague and Dalrymple, this chapter). |
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Keywords
alkalic composition; composition; DNAG; East Pacific Ocean, Islands; Hawaii; Hawaii County Hawaii; Hawaii Island; Kilauea;, lava; mineral composition; Oceania; oxides; petrology; Polynesia;, tholeiitic composition; United States; volcanism; volcanology, 05A, Igneous and metamorphic petrology |
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