The crest of one such peak, Patton Seamount originally formed off Washington state as a submerged volcano 33 million years ago.

Over time, as the Pacific Plate moved steadily northwest, Patton Seamount has carried off the Bowie hotspot and into the Gulf of Alaska.

Recent expeditions to these seamounts using crewed submersibles and ROVs have discovered many marine species and have greatly expanded the knowledge of the range of deep sea corals in this region.

[2] The Kodiak–Bowie seamount chain is at the northern triple junction between the Pacific, North American, and Juan de Fuca plates.

Available age determinations on Kodiak and Giacomini Seamounts give an approximate average rate of movement along the chain of 6.5 cm (3 in) per year.