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Science 9 May 2003:
Vol. 300. no. 5621, pp. 921 - 922
DOI: 10.1126/science.1083376
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Perspectives

GEOLOGY:
Is "Hotspot" Volcanism a Consequence of Plate Tectonics?

G. R. Foulger and J. H. Natland

Many volcanoes are associated with subduction zones or mid-ocean ridges, but other areas of unusually high volcanism (or "hotspots") have a more subtle connection to plate tectonic processes. In their Perspective, Foulger and Natland argue that "hotspot" volcanism is not very hot and is a shallow-source by-product of plate tectonics. In a related Perspective, DePaolo and Manga argue that evidence for at least some "hotspots" being caused by deep plumes originating at the base of Earth's mantle is strong, although direct evidence is still lacking because of the limited resolution of seismic studies.

G. R. Foulger is in the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK. She is currently on leave at the U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. E-mail: g.r.foulger{at}durham.ac.uk J. H. Natland is at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)