Geologists Seamounts
Group of seamounts in the Pacific Ocean mainly south of Hawaii
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Geologists Seamounts (alternatively were named South West Hawaii Group[2]) are a cluster of seamounts in the Pacific Ocean, located mainly 100 miles (160 km) south of Oahu, Hawaii[3] and 100–200 kilometres (62–124 mi)[4] south-west from Big Island (Hawaiʻi).[5] Clockwise from north they are named Perret, Jaggar, McCall, Pensacola, Daly, Swordfish, Cross, Washington and Ellis.[6] The Kauluakalana seamount to the north of Oahu on the far side of the Hawaiian chain to the other seamounts of the cluster, and south-east of the Musicians Seamounts has reason to be regarded as part of the Geologists Seamounts,[7] but would not so be grouped logically by the former name for the cluster.
| Geologists Seamounts | |
|---|---|
Bathymetric map of the south-west Geologists Seamounts | |
  North Pacific Ocean | |
| Location | |
| Location | North Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 18°40′N 157°40′W[1] |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cretaceous |
Geology
The seamounts developed during the Cretaceous,[8] about 80 million years ago, and there is no geological relationship to the neighbouring Hawaiian Islands.[4] There is about contemporaneous timing with the formation of the Musicians Seamounts to the north-west of Oahu and Hawaiʻi, from the limited sampling and analysis to date.[9] Ages that have been obtained include 80.5 Ma for Kauluakalana, 84.5 Ma for Cross and 82.7 Ma for McCall.[7] Rocks dredged from the seamounts include iron-manganese crusts, carbonates and basalts.[10]
Ecology
Corals and sponges have been recorded at the south-western Swordfish Seamount at a depth of 1,071 m (3,514 ft) with plexauridae, alcyonacea, and coralliidae corals.[11] The deeper coral community on Ellis Seamount at a depth of 2,135 m (7,005 ft) was less diverse with bamboo corals dominant.[11]
