In 1963 , geologist John Tuzo Wilson hypothesized the origins of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain , explaining that they were created by a hotspot of volcanic activity that was essentially stationary as the Pacific tectonic plate drifted in a northwesterly direction , leaving a trail of increasingly eroded volcanic islands and seamounts in its wake .
In 1963 , geologist John Tuzo Wilson explained that the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain was created by a hotspot of volcanic activity that stood as the Pacific tectonic plate moved over it .