Hotspots or not? Isotopes score one for traditional theory

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This trail of underwater mountains known as the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain or the Emperor Seamounts was created as the tectonic plate moved across the Hawaii hotspot over the course of millions of years. A study of uranium isotopes strongly supp ...
This trail of underwater mountains, known as the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain or the Emperor Seamounts, was created as the tectonic plate moved across the Hawaii hotspot over the course of millions of years. A study of uranium isotopes strongly supports upwelling of mantle material as the original source of these islands. Image: NOAA
New chemical evidence sheds light on the physical constraints of 'hotspots' -- locations where upwellings of Earth's mantle material form seamounts and island chains. Although the existence of hotspots has been debated over the past 30 years, consistent data from uranium isotope decay series at eight island locations supports the idea that concentrated plumes of hot mantle material formed these islands.


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