Hotspot Volcanism: What is a volcanic hotspot?
High School / Arts / Art
A volcanic "hotspot" is an area in the mantle from which heat rises as a thermal plume from deep in the Earth. High heat and lower pressure at the base of the lithosphere (tectonic plate) facilitates melting of the rock. This melt, called magma, rises through cracks and erupts to form volcanoes. (for related resources visit: http://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/136 )
