global tectonics 2016 17 chapter 7 (PDF)

Geotektonik – Global Tectonics

CHAPTER 7

hot spots
vs.
large igneous provinces

Hot Spots are long lived
(several tens of m.y.) and highly focussed thin plumes

LIPs are the product
of short lived (few m.y.) huge hot rising „blobs“

Remember that plumes are entirely in the solid state at depths beneath – say – 300 km

Remember that it is a matter of current debate whether plumes rise from the CMB

a classical textbook map representation of the global
distribution of hot spots
…there are many different such compilations

Iceland

examples

Eifel
Massif Central

Yellowstone
Hawaii

Canaries

Galapagos

a classical textbook map representation of the global
distribution of hot spots
…there are many different such compilations

• Hot spot volcanoes and LIPs form on both
continental and oceanic lithosphere
• The mantle convection pattern and the deepseated source region of plumes seem to be not
affected by the type of overlying lithosphere
• Plate motion relative to the deeper mantle creates
hot spot volcanic chains (like Hawaii). If the plate is
rather stationary, an irregular array of volcanic
islands is created instead (like the Canary islands)