What is geology? How were the Hawaiian islands created? Objective At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to describe the theory of geological processes that created the Hawaiian archipelago while demonstrating an understanding of terms and concepts associated with hotspot theory and plate tectonics. Background Geology is the study of the Earth, its formation, composition and transformations. The Earth is composed of a series of layers: crust (plates), upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core, and inner core. The crust and the top of the mantle form a rigid layer called the lithosph Duration: 60 Minutes.