Hot SpotsMagma Plumes Away From Plate Boundaries

All around the world, there are volcanoes located

far away from the nearest plate boundaries

Mantle Plumes

• At certain locations, a plume of hot mantle rock

from deep down bursts onto the surface.

• The plume remains in place, while the plate

moves across it.

A Chain of Volcanoes Forms

• As the volcanoes move off the hot spot,

they go extinct, while new ones form

above the hot spot.

Hot Spots

Mantle Plume

Plate Movement

Mantle Plume

Plate Movement

Basalt shield volcanoes form over the hot spot. But, as the plate moves the volcano

away from the hot spot, it runs out of magma and goes extinct. A new volcano will

begin to form over the hot spot. While the old volcanoes begin to erode away.

Hawaiian Islands Hot Spot

Pacific Plate

Movement

Kauai

5 million years oldHaleakala

2 million years old

Kilauea

Currently being formed

Kohala

700,000 years old

Loihi

New volcano under ocean

Expected to break surface in

10,000 years

Hualalai

9,800 ft

Mauna Kea

13,700 ft

Mauna Loa

13,600 ft

In Hawaii, there appears to be two parallel vents of the mantle plume

Hawai’ian Hot Spot is about 70 million years old

Notice the change of direction here?

The Pacific Plate changed direction

upon colliding with Asia

Three Places Volcanoes Form

Pahoehoe

• Smooth ropy basalt lava

• Low in silica

• Black when first formed, turned brownish/red

over time due to oxidation of iron

Shield Volcano

• Layer upon layer of thin, easily flowing

basalt forms a broad shield volcano.

• Eruptions tend to be less explosive and

less dangerous.

Yellowstone Hot Spot• There is a hot spot under North America. It

has resulted in a series of large volcanoes

moving across Idaho and into Wyoming.

Other Hot Spot Tracks