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hot-spot volcano
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Figure 7: Hot-spot volcanoes may be formed by deep mantle plumes generated by slow convection currents. Cross-sectional diagram showing three tectonic plates at ocean ridges, transform faults, and a subduction zone. The image illustrates rising magma forming rift and subduction volcanoes, convection currents in the mantle, and features such as ocean trenches, extinct and hot-spot volcanoes, and the movement of plates above a molten core and low-velocity mantle layer.
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hot-spot volcano

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Figure 7: Hot-spot volcanoes may be formed by deep mantle plumes generated by slow convection currents.
Figure 7: Hot-spot volcanoes may be formed by deep mantle plumes generated by slow convection currents.

A hotspot is a region in Earth's upper mantle where heat causes magma to rise and form volcanic features. These volcanoes are distinct from those found at subduction zones or mid-ocean ridges, accounting for about 5 percent of the world's volcanoes.1

Hotspots are thought to be the surface manifestation of mantle plumes, which are massive plumes of heat ascending from deep within the Earth. These plumes are generally stationary relative to the moving lithospheric plates above them. As a tectonic plate moves over a hotspot, a volcano forms. When the plate shifts, the volcano is carried away from the magma source and becomes extinct. Over millions of years, this process can create a chain of volcanoes, such as the Hawaiian Islands, with the youngest, active volcanoes located at one end of the chain. Hotspot volcanism can occur both in ocean basins and on continents, with Yellowstone National Park being a notable example on land.21

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  1. hotspot
  2. plate tectonics - Hotspots

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