Seamounts and Guyots
Satellite image of the island of Oahu, Hawaii
The mid-ocean ridges and abyssal hills are not the only parts of the ocean floor that rise up toward the surface. Seamounts, guyots, and islands are all related structures that can rise thousands of feet from the ocean floor. In the case of islands, of course, these structures actually rise higher than the Earth's oceans.
If you have ever been to Hawaii, or seen pictures of the islands, you know how beautiful these geological structures are as they rise steeply above the ocean waves. How did these structures form, and how do they differ from the mid-ocean ridges?
Essential Questions
- What is the difference between a seamount and a guyot?
- How do islands form from hotspots?
- What are the different types of reefs?