Since the Hawaiian islands are a visible portion of a series of masive volcanoes and the land consists of rugged slopes, sea cliffs and hills, I want to look at Kentucky's topography.
The eastern quarter of the state is dominated by the Cumberland Plateau, on the western edge, the plateau meets the uplands of the Lexington Plain (known as the Bluegrass region) to the notrh and the hilly Pennyroyal to the south. These two regions, which together make up nearly half the state's area, are seperated by a narrow curving plain known as the Knobs because of the shapes of its eroded hills. The most level area of the state consists of the western coalfields bounded by the Pennyroyal to the east and the Ohio River to the north. In the far west are the coastal plains of the Mississippi River; this region is commonly known as the Purchase, having been purchased from the Chickasaw Indians.
Louisville's part of the the valley is located between two plateaus, the karst plateau of Southern Indiana and the Bluegrass plateau of Kentucky, both with an elevation of 900 feet.
The highest point in Kentucky is Black Mountain on the Southeastern boundary in Harlan County, at 4,139 ft (2,162 m). The lowest point is 257 ft (78 m), along the Mississippi River in Fulton County. The state's mean altitude is 750 ft (229 m).
Source: http://www.city-data.com/states/Kentucky-Topography.html
Photo 1: Black Mountain, KY
Photo 2: Rolling Hills in Pikeville, KY
Photo 3: Eastern Kentucky Mountains
Photo 4: Kentucky Topographic Map
