hotspots2006: Hawaian island chain hotspot Argon-Argon ages
Description
Ar-Ar Ages (millions of years) and distances (km) from Kilauea
along the trend of the chain of Hawaian volcanic islands and
other seamounts that are believed to have been created by a
moving "hot spot".source
Warren D. Sharp and David A. Clague, 50-Ma initiation of
Hawaiian-Emperor bend records major change in Pacific Plate
motion. Science 313: 1281-1284 (2006).Details
Note that measurement error is small relative to geological
uncertainty. Geological uncertainty arises because lavas are
likely to have erupted, over a period of up to 2 million years,
somewhat after passage over the hot spot's centre. Dredging
or drilling will in general have accessed larvas from the
younger half of this interval. Hence the asymmetry in the
geological uncertainty.