Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean’s islands host the planet’s most spectacular mountain chains, born from the fiery “Ring of Fire.” In Hawaii, the giant shield volcano Mauna Kea (4,207 m) is the tallest island mountain on Earth — and when measured from the ocean floor, it exceeds 10,000 meters, surpassing Everest. The Mariana, Solomon, and Tonga islands all feature towering volcanic peaks like Mount Popomanaseu and Mount Tofua, part of active subduction zones. Farther south, New Guinea’s Puncak Jaya (4,884 m) — the highest peak in Oceania — rises amid tropical glaciers. These Pacific summits illustrate Earth’s most dynamic volcanic processes and host extraordinary biodiversity shaped by isolation.