Submarine Topography — Emery 
291 
None of the seamounts is seismically active 
within the limitations of the seismograph net 
on Hawaii. The 1952 belt of active seismicity 
south of Hawaii appears to pass between the 
two shallowest seamounts (Papa’u and Loihi) 
(Fig. 1), but conceivably some of the recorded 
seismic activity may still be related to them. 
In summary the seamounts differ from the 
known Hawaiian volcanoes in some respects : 
higher relief (relative to diameter), steeper 
slopes, and lack of seismic activity. In spite 
of these differences the general shapes of the 
features and the geological and geographical 
environment is such that there is a high degree 
of probability that the seamounts are of vol- 
canic origin, and correspondingly that the 
differences which exist may be indications of 
the nature of the early stages of a volcano 
forming well below sea level. If this conclu- 
sion is correct then the two shallowest sea- 
mounts (Papa’u and Loihi) must be consid- 
ered parasitic (in the sense of topography— 
not activity) volcanoes on the flank of Ki- 
lauea-Mauna Loa, two (’Apu’upu’u and Ho- 
honu) are probably independent volcanoes 
located at the foot of the slope, and one (Wini) 
is certainly an independent volcano, being 
located on the opposite side of the Hawaiian 
Arch from Hawaii (Fig. 2). If they are vol- 
canoes, their age may be Late Tertiary to 
Pleistocene in accordance with the youth of 
the rest of the Hawaiian Chain. Quite prob- 
ably they are even younger than the rest of the 
islands as suggested by the general movement 
of the center of volcanic activity from north- 
west to southeast (Stearns, 1946). It is im- 
possible to state definitely, however, that the 
seamounts do constitute such an extension, 
but such is more likely than that they are 
unrelated and isolated volcanoes like the ones 
scattered about the area west of Hawaii (in- 
sert map of Fig. 1). 
CONCLUSIONS 
The relationship of Mauna Loa and Ki- 
lauea to the lower slope of Hawaii and its 
parasitic cones, ridges, fault scarp, and belt 
of seismic activity, to the Hawaiian Deep and 
Arch and to superimposed seamounts is such 
that it is exceedingly desirable to obtain more 
information on the submarine topography 
and bottom materials of the region. This is 
even more important in a geophysical sense 
when one considers that the submarine area 
of the chain far exceeds the subaerial area and 
that the effort expended on the land area 
to date is almost infinitely greater than that 
devoted to study of the submarine area. 
REFERENCES 
Dietz, R. S., and H. W. Menard. 1953. 
Hawaiian Swell, Deep, and Arch, and sub- 
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Dietz, R. S., H. W. Menard, and E. L. 
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Emery, K. O., J. I. Tracey, Jr., and H. S. 
Ladd. 1954. Geology of Bikini and nearby 
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International Committee on the No- 
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Monaco, 22 September 1952. Union Geod. 
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