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Relative Motion of Hot Spots in the Mantle

Abstract

Reconstruction of the major lithospheric plates 21 and 38 m.y. ago implies that linear island chains and aseismic ridges were not generated by localised sources of volcanism (hot spots) that have been fixed with respect to one another. If the linear volcanic chains are formed over mantle hot spots, the spots move at rates of 0.8 to 2 cm yr−1 with respect to one another.

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MOLNAR, P., ATWATER, T. Relative Motion of Hot Spots in the Mantle. Nature 246, 288–291 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/246288a0

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