Lesson 4: Volcanoes & Hot Spots

​Volcanoes & Hot Spots

Earth's Changing Surface ​

​What We Already Know . . .

​Volcanoes form at convergent plate boundaries due to subduction of an oceanic plate

​What we are going to learn . . .

Hot spots can form volcanoes/ volcanic islands on Earth's surface ​

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​Hot Spots

​A hot spot is an area on Earth that exists over a mantle plume.

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A mantle plume is an area under the rocky outer layer of Earth, called the crust, where magma is hotter than surrounding magma. Heat from this extra hot magma causes melting and thinning of the rocky crust, which leads to widespread volcanic activity on Earth’s surface above the plume

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Hot Spot Description Source: National Geographic​

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​Hot Spots

Hot spots are located far away from tectonic plate boundaries - Hot Spots DO NOT move - they are in a "fixed" position

The hot spot is caused by mantle plumes that exist below the tectonic plates, therefore as the plates moves it will gradually move over the top of the stationary hot spot, thus over time creating a chain of volcanoes on the Earth's surface

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The volcano closest to the hotspot is the youngest/newest formed volcano, and the volcano farthest from the hot spot is the oldest.

HOT SPOT VIDEO

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​Let's Watch a Video!

Multiple Choice

True or False:

Volcanoes can form both at convergent plate boundaries (due to subduction) and at hot spots

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A hot spot is an area that sits over a mantle plume. What is a mantle plume?

• An area under Earth's crust where the magma is hotter than surrounding magma

• An area where the magma erupts

• An area under Earth's crust where the magma is colder than surrounding magma

• An area in the Earth's core

Multiple Choice

True or False:

Hot spots do NOT move - they are in a "fixed" spot

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

As plates move over top of a hot spot a chain of volcanoes is formed. The volcano that is closest to the hotspot is. . .

• The OLDEST volcano in the chain of volcanoes

• The YOUNGEST

  volcano in the chain of volcanoes

Multiple Choice

True or False:

Hot spots have helped form the Hawaiian Islands

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What is NOT true about hot spots?

• Hotspots have helped in the formation of the Hawaiian Islands

• Hotspots form volcanoes

• Hotspots are only located along the edges of plate boundaries

• A hotspot stays in one place while a tectonic plate moves across it