How are...?

Question

How are islands formed?

Answer 1

Hawaii and the Hawaiian islands are the result of hot-spot volcanism, where you have the continental plate moving over essentially a "hot spot" in the mantle which basically pushes through the crust and makes volcanoes. You'll find these islands in chains.

Japan and associated islands are the result of a continental plate collision. As the two plates collide, one is getting pushed under and melting, and then the melted material drifts up and becomes islands.

The barrier islands along the east coast, like in North Carolina, are the result of longshore currents which carry sand away from the shore and deposit it in those linear island forms.

I think those are the most conventional ways to form islands, hope this helps!

Answer 2

There are several ways.
Some are volcanic in that the land mass builds the island at the ocean floor until over thousands or tens of thousands of years it rises above sea level.
Some Islands are pieces of of a larger land mass dating back befor the cotinents divided.
There are also Coral Islands that start as reefs built up by coral over long periods of time.

Answer 3

Islands are usually formed by volcanoes...like Hawaii :)

Answer 4

Islands form usually when a volcano erupts then molten lava forms new shapes. Hawaii was made this way.
This is where I got my info.
I hope I GET BEST ANSWER!
http://library.thinkquest.org/J003007/Disasters2/volcano/formed/formed.htm

Answer 5

yeah hes right. but they also can be formed from continental drift, or massive sand build up.