These hot spots give rise to undersea volcanoes, which sometimes rise to the surface and form islands. Another feature attributed to hot spots are island arcs. These arcs appear as a series of volcanic islands in close association with each other. The Hawaiian Islands are a good example. If the volcano remains submerged, they become known as seamounts.
Seamounts are present in many of the ocean basins.
If the volcanoes break the surface of the ocean, they become islands. The weight of these volcanoes on the crust causes the plate to sink. Oftentimes, the tops of these volcanoes are weathered by wind and waves, and the tops become flat. Eventually, the Hawaiian Islands, which are slowly sinking, will be completely submerged and turn into guyots. Geological activity is not the only type of activity that creates structures on the ocean floor.