More Evidence for Plate Tectonics  Hot Spots A hot spot is a concentration of heat in the mantle capable of producing magma, which rises to Earth’s surface; The Pacific plate moves over a hot spot, producing the Hawaiian Islands. Hot spot evidence supports that the plates move over the Earth’s surface.

HOT SPOTS Major regions of volcanic activity in the interior of plates away from plate boundaries. The cause of these hot spots is thought to be plumes of magma rising up from mantle producing sites of active volcanism. As the plate moves over a hot spot, a chain of volcanic mountains forms, like Hawaiian Islands

A major hot spot in the Pacific ocean created the Hawaiian Island and Emperor Seamount island chains.

Radiometric Dating shows that the Hawaiian island volcanic structures increase in age with increasing distance from Hawaii.

Since the mantle hot spot does not move, the island chains tell the direction of plate movement as it passes over the hot spot.

The Pacific Plate was moving northward (to form the Emporer Seamount chain) and then shifted towards the northeast (forming the Hawaiian Island chain).

Hot Spot

At least 40 hot spots exist, some occur on or near the ocean ridge system, such as Iceland.

Others are located in The Interior of a Plate, such as the one beneath Yellowstone National Park.

This diagram provides evidence that the Pacific Tectonic Plate is moving toward the (1) south (3) southwest (2) east (4) northwest