A surface expression of a plume of magma rising from a stationary heat source in the mantle is called a?

A surface expression of a plume of magma rising from a stationary heat source in the mantle is called a?

• A. Mantle Plume
• B. Lava Flow
• C. Volcanic Arc
• D. Hot Spot

Answer: (D)

A hotspot is the surface expression of a mantle plume. A mantle plume is a narrow column of unusually hot mantle material rising from deep inside the mantle. As this material approaches the surface and partially melts, volcanism occurs at the surface, creating a hotspot—a location on a tectonic plate where volcanic activity is observed even though there isn’t a plate boundary there. The plate moving over a relatively stationary hotspot can leave a chain of volcanoes or islands, like the Hawaii–Emperor seamounts. This differs from a mantle plume itself (the underground column), a lava flow (molten rock that erupts onto the surface), or a volcanic arc (volcanoes formed above a subduction zone).

A hotspot is the surface expression of a mantle plume. A mantle plume is a narrow column of unusually hot mantle material rising from deep inside the mantle. As this material approaches the surface and partially melts, volcanism occurs at the surface, creating a hotspot—a location on a tectonic plate where volcanic activity is observed even though there isn’t a plate boundary there. The plate moving over a relatively stationary hotspot can leave a chain of volcanoes or islands, like the Hawaii–Emperor seamounts. This differs from a mantle plume itself (the underground column), a lava flow (molten rock that erupts onto the surface), or a volcanic arc (volcanoes formed above a subduction zone).