Magma Plumes (AQA A Level Geography)

• Hot spots form around the core of the Earth where radioactive decay is concentrated
• This extreme heat creates magma plumes
• These are upwellings of superheated rock that rise from deep within the Earth’s mantle towards the surface
• They can break through the middle of a tectonic plate to reach the surface causing volcanic activity and earthquakes far away from plate margins

• Hot spots and magma plumes can lead to the creation of island chains such as Hawaii
• The magma plume is stationary so when the tectonic plate moves over it, a chain of volcanoes is formed
• The volcanoes are active when they are above the magma plume, but become extinct as the plate moves away
• The oldest island is the one furthest away from the plume

Hot spot