One of the smallest states, hawaii has a total area of around 6,459 square miles nearly all of which is accounted for by eight main islands: hawaii, maui, molokai, lanai, oahu, kauai, niihau, and kahoolawe. many of the islands are the exposed peaks and submerged mountains of a chain of lava dome volcanoes. the state's two main active volcanoes, mauna loa and kilauea, both on the island of hawaii, erupt occasionally on a small scale, usually accompanied by minor earthquakes.

which of the following can the reader infer from the passage above?