HOT SPOTS

WHAT IS ARE HOT SPOTS?

A hot spot is an area over a
mantle plume which is under
the crust where magma is
hotter than the surrounding
magma. Excessive heat from
the very hot magma causes
the thinning and melting of
the crust.
The hot magma
often pushes through
the thin crust and
create volcanoes.
The plate moves
along with the
volcano on top of it,
but the hotspot stays
on where it was.
The hot magma
rises again, forming
another volcano
again.
The plate then
moves again,
repeating the process
and forming a
volcanic chain.
Over time, volcanoes
are eventually cut off
from the hot spot
and become extinct.
HOT SPOT FEATURES:

• Volcanic activity at hot spots can create submarine mountains

known as seamounts.
• Most scientists think that 40 to 50 hot spots exist around the world.
• Major hot spots include:
– the Iceland hot spot, under the island of Iceland in the North Atlantic;
– the Réunion hot spot, under the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean;
– and the Afar hot spot, located under northeastern Ethiopia.
• Hot spots don't always create
volcanoes that spew rivers
of lava. Sometimes, the magma
heats up groundwater under the
Earth’s surface, which causes
water and steam to erupt like a
volcano. These eruptions are
called geysers.