Future of the Hawaiian Islands: Northwest Drift Toward the Aleutians in 100,000 Years

The Hawaiian Islands ride the Pacific Plate northwestward at ~7–9 cm/year.

In 100,000 years, they will have shifted approximately 2,000 km (1,200 miles) closer to the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands.

Eventually, the chain will collide with the Aleutian Trench, leading to subduction, renewed volcanism, and the formation of a new island arc—continuing the cycle of island birth and death that created the Emperor Seamounts.