Towards a better understanding of hot spot volcanism
January 2008
More scientific knowledge is still needed about the origin of hot spots. When this type of volcanism is present right at the centre of oceanic tectonic plates, it gives rise to volcanic constructions such as the Hawaii archipelago or Reunion Island. Although it is already known that classical hot spots such as these result from upsurges of magma generated at the Earth’s core-mantle boundary, the origin of some of them is still a matter of debate.
