s c a l e1cm=200km- wikispaces（s c a l e1cm = 200 km- wikispaces）.docVIP

 Hot Spots and Plumes INTRODUCTION Hot spots are zones where unusually high heat flow has been recorded at the Earth’s surface. More than 100 are known. As expected, most occur along active plate boundaries. Iceland is an example. But others, such as the Hawaiian Islands, are found well within tectonic plates. These are isolated and not associated with spreading centers or Subduction zones. The cause of hot spots is believed to be plumes of molten rock welling up from the mantle. What produces the plumes is not known but these sites often experience spectacular volca