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Volcanic Islands produced by a hotspot


The best example of a hotspot producing a line of volcanic islands is the Hawaiian hot spot. This drawing, from Thurman’s Introduction to Oceanography, illustrates how the Hawaiian chain formed as the Pacific tectonic plate moved over the hot spot. This mechanism most likely explains the chain of extinct volcanoes that make up the New England seamount chain.


Related Links

Mountains in the Sea

Mountains in the Sea: Geology


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