Hotspot ( geology ) - wikipedia Hotspot ( geology ) Diagram showing a cross section through the Earth 's lithosphere ( in yellow ) with magma rising from the mantle ( in red ) In geology, the places known as hotspots or hot spots are volcanic regions thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the surrounding mantle. Their position on the Earth 's surface is independent of tectonic plate boundaries. There are two hypotheses that attempt to explain their origins. One suggests that hotspots are due to mantle plumes that rise as thermal diapirs from the core -- mantle boundary. The other hypothesis is that lithospheric extension permits the passive rising of melt from shallow depths. This hypothesis considers the term `` hotspot '' to be a misnomer, asserting that the mantle source beneath them is, in fact, not anomalously hot at all. Well known examples include Hawaii, Iceland and Yellowstone hotspots. Contents 1 Origin 2 Composition 3 Comparison with island arc volcanoes 4 Hotspot volcanic chains 4.1 Postulated hotspot volcano chains 4.2 List of volcanic regions postulated to be hotspots 4.2. 1 Eurasian Plate 4.2. 2 African Plate 4.2. 3 Antarctic Plate 4.2. 4 South American Plate 4.2. 5 North American Plate 4.2. 6 Indo - Australian Plate 4.2. 7 Nazca Plate 4.2. 8 Pacific Plate 5 Former hotspots 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links Origin Schematic diagram showing the physical processes inside the Earth that lead to the generation of magma. Partial melting begins above the fusion point. The origins of the concept of hotspots lie in the work of J. Tuzo Wilson, who postulated in 1963 that the formation of the Hawaiian Islands resulted from the slow movement of a tectonic plate across a hot region beneath the surface. It was later postulated that hotspots are fed by narrow streams of hot mantle rising from the Earth 's core -- mantle boundary in a structure called a mantle plume. Whether or not such mantle plumes exist is the subject of a major controversy in Earth science. Estimates for the number of hotspots postulated to be fed by mantle plumes has ranged from about 20 to several thousands, over the years, with most geologists considering a few tens to exist. Hawaii, Réunion, Yellowstone, Galápagos, and Iceland are some of the most active volcanic regions to which the hypothesis is applied. Composition Most hotspot volcanoes are basaltic ( e.g., Hawaii, Tahiti ). As a result, they are less explosive than subduction zone volcanoes, in which water is trapped under the overriding plate. Where hotspots occur in continental regions, basaltic magma rises through the continental crust, which melts to form rhyolites. These rhyolites can form violent eruptions. For example, the Yellowstone Caldera was formed by some of the most powerful volcanic explosions in geologic history. However, when the rhyolite is completely erupted, it may be followed by eruptions of basaltic magma rising through the same lithospheric fissures ( cracks in the lithosphere ). An example of this activity is the Ilgachuz Range in British Columbia, which was created by an early complex series of trachyte and rhyolite eruptions, and late extrusion of a sequence of basaltic lava flows. The hotspot hypothesis is now closely linked to the mantle plume hypothesis. Comparison with island arc volcanoes Hotspot volcanoes are considered to have a fundamentally different origin from island arc volcanoes. The latter form over subduction zones, at converging plate boundaries. When one oceanic plate meets another, the denser plate is forced downward into a deep ocean trench. This plate, as it is subducted, releases water into the base of the over-riding plate, and this water mixes with the rock, thus changing its composition causing some rock to melt and rise. It is this that fuels a chain of volcanoes, such as the Aleutian Islands, near Alaska. Hotspot volcanic chains Over millions of years, the Pacific Plate has moved over the Hawaii hotspot, creating a trail of underwater mountains that stretch across the Pacific Kilauea is the most active shield volcano in the world. The volcano has erupted nonstop since 1983 and it is part of the Hawaiian -- Emperor seamount chain. Mauna Loa is a large shield volcano. Its last eruption was in 1984 and it is part of the Hawaiian -- Emperor seamount chain. Bowie Seamount is a dormant submarine volcano and it is part of the Kodiak - Bowie Seamount chain. Axial Seamount is the youngest seamount of the Cobb -- Eickelberg Seamount chain. Its last eruption was on 6 April 2011. Mauna Kea is the tallest volcano in the Hawaiian -- Emperor seamount chain. It is dormant and it has cinder cones growing on the volcano. Hualalai is a massive shield volcano in the Hawaiian -- Emperor seamount chain. Its last eruption was in 1801. The joint mantle plume / hotspot hypothesis envisages the feeder structures to be fixed relative to one another, with the continents and seafloor drifting overhead. The hypothesis thus predicts that time - progressive chains of volcanoes are developed on the surface. Examples are Yellowstone, which lies at the end of a chain of extinct calderas, which become progressively older to the west. Another example is the Hawaiian archipelago, where islands become progressively older and more deeply eroded to the northwest. Geologists have tried to use hotspot volcanic chains to track the movement of the Earth 's tectonic plates. This effort has been vexed by the lack of very long chains, by the fact that many are not time - progressive ( e.g. the Galápagos ) and by the fact that hotspots do not appear to be fixed relative to one another ( e.g. Hawaii and Iceland. ) Postulated hotspot volcano chains An example of mantle plume locations suggested by one recent group. Figure from Foulger ( 2010 ). Hawaiian -- Emperor seamount chain ( Hawaii hotspot ) Louisville Ridge ( Louisville hotspot ) Walvis Ridge ( Gough and Tristan hotspot ) Kodiak -- Bowie Seamount chain ( Bowie hotspot ) Cobb -- Eickelberg Seamount chain ( Cobb hotspot ) New England Seamounts ( New England hotspot ) Anahim Volcanic Belt ( Anahim hotspot ) Mackenzie dike swarm ( Mackenzie hotspot ) Great Meteor hotspot track ( New England hotspot ) St. Helena Seamount Chain -- Cameroon Volcanic Line ( Saint Helena hotspot ) Southern Mascarene Plateau -- Chagos - Maldives - Laccadive Ridge ( Réunion hotspot ) Ninety East Ridge ( Kerguelen hotspot ) Tuamotu -- Line Island chain ( Easter hotspot ) Austral -- Gilbert -- Marshall chain ( Macdonald hotspot ) Juan Fernández Ridge ( Juan Fernández hotspot ) Tasmantid Seamount Chain ( Tasmantid hotspot ) List of volcanic regions postulated to be hotspots It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled List of hotspots and hotspot chains. ( Discuss ) ( June 2015 ) Distribution of hotspots in the list to the left, with the numbers corresponding to those in the list. The Afar hotspot ( 29 ) is misplaced. Map all coordinates using : OpenStreetMap Google Maps Download coordinates as : KML GPX Eurasian plate Eifel hotspot ( 8 ) 50 ° 12 ′ N 6 ° 42 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 50.2 ° N 6.7 ° E ﻿ / 50.2 ; 6.7 ﻿ ( Eifel hotspot ), w = 1 az = 082 ° ± 8 ° rate = 12 ± 2 mm / yr Iceland hotspot ( 14 ) 64 ° 24 ′ N 17 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 64.4 ° N 17.3 ° W ﻿ / 64.4 ; - 17.3 ﻿ ( Iceland hotspot ) Eurasian Plate, w =. 8 az = 075 ° ± 10 ° rate = 5 ± 3 mm / yr North American Plate, w =. 8 az = 287 ° ± 10 ° rate = 15 ± 5 mm / yr Possibly related to the North Atlantic continental rifting ( 62 Ma ), Greenland. Azores hotspot ( 1 ) 37 ° 54 ′ N 26 ° 00 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.9 ° N 26.0 ° W ﻿ / 37.9 ; - 26.0 ﻿ ( Azores hotspot ) Eurasian Plate, w =. 5 az = 110 ° ± 12 ° North American Plate, w =. 3 az = 280 ° ± 15 ° Jan Mayen hotspot ( 15 ) 71 ° N 9 ° W ﻿ / ﻿ 71 ° N 9 ° W ﻿ / 71 ; - 9 ﻿ ( Jan Mayen hotspot ) Hainan hotspot ( 46 ) 20 ° N 110 ° E ﻿ / ﻿ 20 ° N 110 ° E ﻿ / 20 ; 110 ﻿ ( Hainan hotspot ), az = 000 ° ± 15 ° African plate Mount Etna ( 47 ) 37 ° 45.304 ′ N 14 ° 59.715 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 37.755067 ° N 14.995250 ° E ﻿ / 37.755067 ; 14.995250 ﻿ ( Mount Etna ) Hoggar hotspot ( 13 ) 23 ° 18 ′ N 5 ° 36 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 23.3 ° N 5.6 ° E ﻿ / 23.3 ; 5.6 ﻿ ( Hoggar hotspot ), w =. 3 az = 046 ° ± 12 ° Tibesti hotspot ( 40 ) 20 ° 48 ′ N 17 ° 30 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 20.8 ° N 17.5 ° E ﻿ / 20.8 ; 17.5 ﻿ ( Tibesti hotspot ), w =. 2 az = 030 ° ± 15 ° Jebel Marra / Darfur hotspot ( 6 ) 13 ° 00 ′ N 24 ° 12 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 13.0 ° N 24.2 ° E ﻿ / 13.0 ; 24.2 ﻿ ( Darfur hotspot ), w =. 5 az = 045 ° ± 8 ° Afar hotspot ( 29, misplaced in map ) 7 ° 00 ′ N 39 ° 30 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 7.0 ° N 39.5 ° E ﻿ / 7.0 ; 39.5 ﻿ ( Afar hotspot ), w =. 2 az = 030 ° ± 15 ° rate = 16 ± 8 mm / yr Possibly related to the Afar Triple Junction, 30 Ma. Cameroon hotspot ( 17 ) 2 ° 00 ′ N 5 ° 06 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 2.0 ° N 5.1 ° E ﻿ / 2.0 ; 5.1 ﻿ ( Cameroon hotspot ), w =. 3 az = 032 ° ± 3 ° rate = 15 ± 5 mm / yr Madeira hotspot ( 48 ) 32 ° 36 ′ N 17 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 32.6 ° N 17.3 ° W ﻿ / 32.6 ; - 17.3 ﻿ ( Madeira hotspot ), w =. 3 az = 055 ° ± 15 ° rate = 8 ± 3 mm / yr Canary hotspot ( 18 ) 28 ° 12 ′ N 18 ° 00 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 28.2 ° N 18.0 ° W ﻿ / 28.2 ; - 18.0 ﻿ ( Canary hotspot ), w = 1 az = 094 ° ± 8 ° rate = 20 ± 4 mm / yr New England / Great Meteor hotspot ( 28 ) 29 ° 24 ′ N 29 ° 12 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 29.4 ° N 29.2 ° W ﻿ / 29.4 ; - 29.2 ﻿ ( Great Meteor hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 040 ° ± 10 ° Cape Verde hotspot ( 19 ) 16 ° 00 ′ N 24 ° 00 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 16.0 ° N 24.0 ° W ﻿ / 16.0 ; - 24.0 ﻿ ( Cape Verde hotspot ), w =. 2 az = 060 ° ± 30 ° St. Helena hotspot ( 34 ) 16 ° 30 ′ S 9 ° 30 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 16.5 ° S 9.5 ° W ﻿ / - 16.5 ; - 9.5 ﻿ ( St. Helena hotspot ), w = 1 az = 078 ° ± 5 ° rate = 20 ± 3 mm / yr Gough hotspot ( 49 ), at 40 ° 19 ' S 9 ° 56 ' W. 40 ° 18 ′ S 10 ° 00 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 40.3 ° S 10 ° E ﻿ / - 40.3 ; 10 ﻿ ( Gough hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 079 ° ± 5 ° rate = 18 ± 3 mm / yr Tristan hotspot ( 42 ), at 37 ° 07 ′ S 12 ° 17 ′ W. 37 ° 12 ′ S 12 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.2 ° S 12.3 ° W ﻿ / - 37.2 ; - 12.3 ﻿ ( Tristan hotspot ) Vema hotspot ( Vema Seamount, 43 ), at 31 ° 38 ' S 8 ° 20 ' E. 32 ° 06 ′ S 6 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 32.1 ° S 6.3 ° W ﻿ / - 32.1 ; - 6.3 ﻿ ( Vema hotspot ) Related maybe to the Paraná and Etendeka traps ( c. 132 Ma ) through the Walvis Ridge. Discovery hotspot ( 50 ) ( Discovery Seamounts ) 43 ° 00 ′ S 2 ° 42 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 43.0 ° S 2.7 ° W ﻿ / - 43.0 ; - 2.7 ﻿ ( Discovery hotspot ), w = 1 az = 068 ° ± 3 ° Bouvet hotspot ( 51 ) 54 ° 24 ′ S 3 ° 24 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 54.4 ° S 3.4 ° E ﻿ / - 54.4 ; 3.4 ﻿ ( Bouvet hotspot ) Shona / Meteor hotspot ( 27 ) 51 ° 24 ′ S 1 ° 00 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.4 ° S 1.0 ° W ﻿ / - 51.4 ; - 1.0 ﻿ ( Shona hotspot ), w =. 3 az = 074 ° ± 6 ° Réunion hotspot ( 33 ) 21 ° 12 ′ S 55 ° 42 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 21.2 ° S 55.7 ° E ﻿ / - 21.2 ; 55.7 ﻿ ( Réunion hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 047 ° ± 10 ° rate = 40 ± 10 mm / yr Possibly related to the Deccan Traps ( main events : 68.5 -- 66 Ma ) Comoros hotspot ( 21 ) 11 ° 30 ′ S 43 ° 18 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 11.5 ° S 43.3 ° E ﻿ / - 11.5 ; 43.3 ﻿ ( Comoros hotspot ), w =. 5 az = 118 ± 10 ° rate = 35 ± 10 mm / yr Antarctic Plate Marion hotspot ( 25 ) 46 ° 54 ′ S 37 ° 36 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 46.9 ° S 37.6 ° E ﻿ / - 46.9 ; 37.6 ﻿ ( Marion hotspot ), w =. 5 az = 080 ° ± 12 ° Crozet hotspot ( 52 ) 46 ° 06 ′ S 50 ° 12 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 46.1 ° S 50.2 ° E ﻿ / - 46.1 ; 50.2 ﻿ ( Crozet hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 109 ° ± 10 ° rate = 25 ± 13 mm / yr Possibly related to the Karoo - Ferrar geologic province ( 183 Ma ) Kerguelen hotspot ( 20 ) 49 ° 36 ′ S 69 ° 00 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 49.6 ° S 69.0 ° E ﻿ / - 49.6 ; 69.0 ﻿ ( Kerguelen hotspot ), w =. 2 az = 050 ° ± 30 ° rate = 3 ± 1 mm / yr Île Saint - Paul and Île Amsterdam could be part of the Kerguelen hotspot trail ( St. Paul is probably not another hotspot ) Related maybe to the Kerguelen Plateau ( 130 Ma ) Heard hotspot ( 53 ) 53 ° 06 ′ S 73 ° 30 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 53.1 ° S 73.5 ° E ﻿ / - 53.1 ; 73.5 ﻿ ( Heard hotspot ), w =. 2 az = 030 ° ± 20 ° Balleny hotspot ( 2 ) 67 ° 36 ′ S 164 ° 48 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 67.6 ° S 164.8 ° E ﻿ / - 67.6 ; 164.8 ﻿ ( Balleny hotspot ), w =. 2 az = 325 ° ± 7 ° Erebus hotspot ( 54 ) 77 ° 30 ′ S 167 ° 12 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 77.5 ° S 167.2 ° E ﻿ / - 77.5 ; 167.2 ﻿ ( Erebus hotspot ) South American Plate Trindade / Martin Vaz hotspot ( 41 ) 20 ° 30 ′ S 28 ° 48 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 20.5 ° S 28.8 ° W ﻿ / - 20.5 ; - 28.8 ﻿ ( Trindade hotspot ), w = 1 az = 264 ° ± 5 ° Fernando hotspot ( 9 ) 3 ° 48 ′ S 32 ° 24 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 3.8 ° S 32.4 ° W ﻿ / - 3.8 ; - 32.4 ﻿ ( Fernando hotspot ), w = 1 az = 266 ° ± 7 ° Possibly related to the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province ( c. 200 Ma ) Ascension hotspot ( 55 ) 7 ° 54 ′ S 14 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 7.9 ° S 14.3 ° W ﻿ / - 7.9 ; - 14.3 ﻿ ( Ascension hotspot ) North american plate Bermuda hotspot ( 56 ) 32 ° 36 ′ N 64 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 32.6 ° N 64.3 ° W ﻿ / 32.6 ; - 64.3 ﻿ ( Bermuda hotspot ), w =. 3 az = 260 ° ± 15 ° Yellowstone hotspot ( 44 ) 44 ° 30 ′ N 110 ° 24 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 44.5 ° N 110.4 ° W ﻿ / 44.5 ; - 110.4 ﻿ ( Yellowstone hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 235 ° ± 5 ° rate = 26 ± 5 mm / yr Possibly related to the Columbia River Basalt Group ( 17 -- 14 Ma ). Raton hotspot ( 32 ) 36 ° 48 ′ N 104 ° 06 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.8 ° N 104.1 ° W ﻿ / 36.8 ; - 104.1 ﻿ ( Raton hotspot ), w = 1 az = 240 ° ± 4 ° rate = 30 ± 20 mm / yr Anahim hotspot ( 45 ) 52 ° 54 ′ 0 '' N 123 ° 44 ′ 0 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 52.90000 ° N 123.73333 ° W ﻿ / 52.90000 ; - 123.73333 ﻿ ( Anahim hotspot ) ( Nazko Cone ) Indo - Australian Plate Lord Howe hotspot ( 22 ) 34 ° 42 ′ S 159 ° 48 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 34.7 ° S 159.8 ° E ﻿ / - 34.7 ; 159.8 ﻿ ( Lord Howe hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 351 ° ± 10 ° Tasmantid hotspot ( 39 ) 40 ° 24 ′ S 155 ° 30 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 40.4 ° S 155.5 ° E ﻿ / - 40.4 ; 155.5 ﻿ ( Tasmanid hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 007 ° ± 5 ° rate = 63 ± 5 mm / yr East Australia hotspot ( 30 ) 40 ° 48 ′ S 146 ° 00 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 40.8 ° S 146.0 ° E ﻿ / - 40.8 ; 146.0 ﻿ ( East Australia hotspot ), w =. 3 az = 000 ° ± 15 ° rate = 65 ± 3 mm / yr Nazca plate Juan Fernández hotspot ( 16 ) 33 ° 54 ′ S 81 ° 48 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 33.9 ° S 81.8 ° W ﻿ / - 33.9 ; - 81.8 ﻿ ( Juan Fernández hotspot ), w = 1 az = 084 ° ± 3 ° rate = 80 ± 20 mm / yr San Felix hotspot ( 36 ) 26 ° 24 ′ S 80 ° 06 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 26.4 ° S 80.1 ° W ﻿ / - 26.4 ; - 80.1 ﻿ ( San Felix hotspot ), w =. 3 az = 083 ° ± 8 ° Easter hotspot ( 7 ) 26 ° 24 ′ S 106 ° 30 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 26.4 ° S 106.5 ° W ﻿ / - 26.4 ; - 106.5 ﻿ ( Easter hotspot ), w = 1 az = 087 ° ± 3 ° rate = 95 ± 5 mm / yr Galápagos hotspot ( 10 ) 0 ° 24 ′ S 91 ° 36 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 0.4 ° S 91.6 ° W ﻿ / - 0.4 ; - 91.6 ﻿ ( Galápagos hotspot ) Nazca Plate, w = 1 az = 096 ° ± 5 ° rate = 55 ± 8 mm / yr Cocos Plate, w =. 5 az = 045 ° ± 6 ° Possibly related to the Caribbean large igneous province ( main events : 95 -- 88 Ma ). Pacific plate Over millions of years, the Pacific Plate has moved over the Bowie hotspot, creating the Kodiak - Bowie Seamount chain in the Gulf of Alaska Louisville hotspot ( 23 ) 53 ° 36 ′ S 140 ° 36 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 53.6 ° S 140.6 ° W ﻿ / - 53.6 ; - 140.6 ﻿ ( Louisville hotspot ), w = 1 az = 316 ° ± 5 ° rate = 67 ± 5 mm / yr Possibly related to the Ontong Java Plateau ( 125 -- 120 Ma ). Foundation hotspot / Ngatemato seamounts ( 57 ) 37 ° 42 ′ S 111 ° 06 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.7 ° S 111.1 ° W ﻿ / - 37.7 ; - 111.1 ﻿ ( Foundation hotspot ), w = 1 az = 292 ° ± 3 ° rate = 80 ± 6 mm / yr Macdonald hotspot ( 24 ) 29 ° 00 ′ S 140 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 29.0 ° S 140.3 ° W ﻿ / - 29.0 ; - 140.3 ﻿ ( Macdonald hotspot ), w = 1 az = 289 ° ± 6 ° rate = 105 ± 10 mm / yr North Austral / President Thiers ( President Thiers Bank, 58 ) 25 ° 36 ′ S 143 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 25.6 ° S 143.3 ° W ﻿ / - 25.6 ; - 143.3 ﻿ ( North Austral hotspot ), w = ( 1.0 ) azim = 293 ° ± 3 ° rate = 75 ± 15 mm / yr Arago hotspot ( Arago Seamount, 59 ) 23 ° 24 ′ S 150 ° 42 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 23.4 ° S 150.7 ° W ﻿ / - 23.4 ; - 150.7 ﻿ ( Arago hotspot ), w = 1 azim = 296 ° ± 4 ° rate = 120 ± 20 mm / yr Maria / Southern Cook hotspot ( Îles Maria, 60 ) 20 ° 12 ′ S 153 ° 48 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 20.2 ° S 153.8 ° W ﻿ / - 20.2 ; - 153.8 ﻿ ( Maria / Southern Cook hotspot ), w = 0.8 az = 300 ° ± 4 ° Samoa hotspot ( 35 ) 14 ° 30 ′ S 168 ° 12 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 14.5 ° S 168.2 ° W ﻿ / - 14.5 ; - 168.2 ﻿ ( Samoa hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 285 ° ± 5 ° rate = 95 ± 20 mm / yr Crough hotspot ( Crough Seamount, 61 ) 26 ° 54 ′ S 114 ° 36 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 26.9 ° S 114.6 ° W ﻿ / - 26.9 ; - 114.6 ﻿ ( Crough hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 284 ° ± 2 ° Pitcairn hotspot ( 31 ) 25 ° 24 ′ S 129 ° 18 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 25.4 ° S 129.3 ° W ﻿ / - 25.4 ; - 129.3 ﻿ ( Pitcairn hotspot ), w = 1 az = 293 ° ± 3 ° rate = 90 ± 15 mm / yr Society / Tahiti hotspot ( 38 ) 18 ° 12 ′ S 148 ° 24 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 18.2 ° S 148.4 ° W ﻿ / - 18.2 ; - 148.4 ﻿ ( Society hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 295 ° ± 5 ° rate = 109 ± 10 mm / yr Marquesas hotspot ( 26 ) 10 ° 30 ′ S 139 ° 00 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 10.5 ° S 139.0 ° W ﻿ / - 10.5 ; - 139.0 ﻿ ( Marquesas hotspot ), w =. 5 az = 319 ° ± 8 ° rate = 93 ± 7 mm / yr Caroline hotspot ( 4 ) 4 ° 48 ′ N 164 ° 24 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 4.8 ° N 164.4 ° E ﻿ / 4.8 ; 164.4 ﻿ ( Caroline hotspot ), w = 1 az = 289 ° ± 4 ° rate = 135 ± 20 mm / yr Hawaii hotspot ( 12 ) 19 ° 00 ′ N 155 ° 12 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 19.0 ° N 155.2 ° W ﻿ / 19.0 ; - 155.2 ﻿ ( Hawaii hotspot ), w = 1 az = 304 ° ± 3 ° rate = 92 ± 3 mm / yr Possibly related to the Siberian Traps ( 251 -- 250 Ma ). Socorro / Revillagigedos hotspot ( 37 ) 19 ° 00 ′ N 111 ° 00 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 19.0 ° N 111 ° W ﻿ / 19.0 ; - 111 ﻿ ( Socorro ) Guadalupe hotspot ( 11 ) 27 ° 42 ′ N 114 ° 30 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 27.7 ° N 114.5 ° W ﻿ / 27.7 ; - 114.5 ﻿ ( Guadalupe hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 292 ° ± 5 ° rate = 80 ± 10 mm / yr Cobb hotspot ( 5 ) 46 ° 00 ′ N 130 ° 06 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 46.0 ° N 130.1 ° W ﻿ / 46.0 ; - 130.1 ﻿ ( Cobb hotspot ), w = 1 az = 321 ° ± 5 ° rate = 43 ± 3 mm / yr Bowie / Pratt - Welker hotspot ( 3 ) 53 ° 00 ′ N 134 ° 48 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 53.0 ° N 134.8 ° W ﻿ / 53.0 ; - 134.8 ﻿ ( Bowie hotspot ), w =. 8 az = 306 ° ± 4 ° rate = 40 ± 20 mm / yr Former hotspots Euterpe / Musicians hotspot ( Musicians Seamounts ) Mackenzie hotspot Matachewan hotspot See also Earth sciences portal Volcanoes portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hotspot volcanoes. Anorogenic magmatism Mantle plume References ^ Jump up to : W.J. Morgan ( 5 March 1971 ). `` Convection Plumes in the Lower Mantle ''. Nature. 230 ( 5288 ) : 42 -- 43. Bibcode : 1971Natur. 230... 42M. doi : 10.1038 / 230042a0. Jump up ^ `` Do plumes exist ? ''. Retrieved 2010 - 04 - 25. ^ Jump up to : Foulger, G.R. ( 2010 ). Plates vs. Plumes : A Geological Controversy. Wiley - Blackwell. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4051 - 6148 - 0. Jump up ^ Wilson, J. Tuzo ( 1963 ). `` A possible origin of the Hawaiian Islands '' ( PDF ). Canadian Journal of Physics. 41 ( 6 ) : 863 -- 870. Bibcode : 1963CaJPh... 41... 863W. doi : 10.1139 / p63 - 094. Jump up ^ `` Hotspots : Mantle thermal plumes ''. United States Geological Survey. 1999 - 05 - 05. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 15. Jump up ^ Wright, Laura ( November 2000 ). `` Earth 's interior : Raising hot spots ''. Geotimes. American Geological Institute. Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 15. Jump up ^ Donald Hyndman ; David Hyndman ( 1 January 2016 ). Natural Hazards and Disasters. Cengage Learning. pp. 44 --. ISBN 978 - 1 - 305 - 88818 - 0. Jump up ^ Wolfgang Frisch ; Martin Meschede ; Ronald C. Blakey ( 2 November 2010 ). Plate Tectonics : Continental Drift and Mountain Building. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 87 --. ISBN 978 - 3 - 540 - 76504 - 2. Jump up ^ Holbek, Peter ( November 1983 ). `` Report on Preliminary Geology and Geochemistry of the Ilga Claim Group '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 15. Jump up ^ Mainak Choudhuri ; Michal Nemčok ( 22 August 2016 ). Mantle Plumes and Their Effects. Springer. pp. 18 --. ISBN 978 - 3 - 319 - 44239 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Axial Seamount ''. PMEL Earth - Ocean Interactions Program. NOAA. Retrieved 23 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` What the hell is Hawaii ? ''. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 07. Jump up ^ Courtillot, V. ; Davaillie, A. ; Besse, J. ; Stock, J. ( 2003 ). `` Three distinct types of hotspots in the Earth 's mantle ''. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 205 ( 3 -- 4 ) : 295 -- 308. Bibcode : 2003E&PSL. 205... 295C. doi : 10.1016 / S0012 - 821X ( 02 ) 01048 - 8. Jump up ^ E.V. Verzhbitsky ( 2003 ). `` Geothermal regime and genesis of the Ninety - East and Chagos - Laccadive ridges ''. Journal of Geodynamics. 35 ( 3 ) : 289. Bibcode : 2003JGeo... 35... 289V. doi : 10.1016 / S0264 - 3707 ( 02 ) 00068 - 6. ^ Jump up to : W.J. Morgan and J.P. Morgan. `` Plate velocities in hotspot reference frame : electronic supplement '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2011 - 11 - 06. Jump up ^ Nielsen, Søren B. ; Stephenson, Randell ; Thomsen, Erik ( 13 December 2007 ). `` Letter : Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations ''. Nature. 450 ( 7172 ) : 1071 -- 1074. Bibcode : 2007Natur. 450.1071 N. doi : 10.1038 / nature06379. PMID 18075591. Jump up ^ O'Neill, C. ; Müller, R.D. ; Steinberger, B. ( 2003 ). `` Revised Indian plate rotations based on the motion of Indian Ocean hotspots '' ( PDF ). Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 215 : 151 -- 168. Bibcode : 2003E&PSL. 215... 151O. doi : 10.1016 / S0012 - 821X ( 03 ) 00368 - 6. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 26 July 2011. Jump up ^ O'Connor, J.M. ; le Roex, A.P. ( 1992 ). `` South Atlantic hot spot - plume systems. 1 : Distribution of volcanism in time and space ''. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 113 ( 3 ) : 343 -- 364. Bibcode : 1992E&PSL. 113... 343O. doi : 10.1016 / 0012 - 821X ( 92 ) 90138 - L. Jump up ^ Smith, Robert B. ; Jordan, Michael ; Steinberger, Bernhard ; Puskas, Christine M. ; Farrell, Jamie ; Waite, Gregory P. ; Husen, Stephan ; Chang, Wu - Lung ; O'Connell, Richard ( 20 November 2009 ). `` Geodynamics of the Yellowstone hotspot and mantle plume : Seismic and GPS imaging, kinematics and mantle flow '' ( PDF ). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 188 ( 1 -- 3 ) : 26 -- 56. Bibcode : 2009JVGR... 188... 26S. doi : 10.1016 / j. jvolgeores. 2009.08. 020. Jump up ^ `` Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes - Anahim volcanic belt ''. Natural Resources Canada. Geological Survey of Canada. Archived from the original on 2011 - 07 - 16. Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 14. Jump up ^ B Steinberger, C Gaina, Plate - tectonic reconstructions predict part of the Hawaiian hotspot track to be preserved in the Bering Sea, Geology 35 ( 5 ), 407 -- 410. Further reading `` Plates vs. Plumes : A Geological Controversy ''. Wiley - Blackwell. October 2010. Boschi, L. ; Becker, T.W. ; Steinberger, B. ( 2007 ). `` Mantle plumes : Dynamic models and seismic images '' ( PDF ). Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems. 8 ( Q10006 ) : Q10006. Bibcode : 2007GGG... 810006B. doi : 10.1029 / 2007GC001733. ISSN 1525 - 2027. Clouard, Valérie ; Gerbault, Muriel ( 2007 ). `` Break - up spots : Could the Pacific open as a consequence of plate kinematics ? ''. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 265 : 195. Bibcode : 2008E&PSL. 265... 195C. doi : 10.1016 / j. epsl. 2007.10. 013. `` Towards A Better Understanding Of Hot Spot Volcanism ''. ScienceDaily. 4 February 2008. External links The Wikibook Historical Geology has a page on the topic of : Hotspots Formation of Hotspots Raising Hot Spots Large Igneous Provinces ( LIPs ) Maria Antretter, PhD Thesis ( 2001 ) : Moving hotspots -- Evidence from paleomagnetism and modeling Do Plumes Exist ? Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hotspot_(geology)&oldid=828151402 '' Categories : Hotspots ( geology ) Plate tectonics Volcanology Geological history of Earth Hotspot volcanism Hotspot volcanoes Structure of the Earth Hidden categories : Articles to be split from June 2015 All articles to be split Lists of coordinates Geographic coordinate lists Articles with Geo Use dmy dates from September 2010 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Alemannisch Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית ქართული Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Монгол Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska ไทย Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 34 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 February 2018, at 21 : 27. 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Question: where are hotspot volcanoes found in the united states
Answer: Yellowstone