Book: The Dynamic Earth (Kious and Tilling)
- Page ID
- 206
- Mantle Thermal Plumes
- The vast majority of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur near plate boundaries, but there are some exceptions. For example, the Hawaiian Islands, which are entirely of volcanic origin, have formed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean more than 3,200 km from the nearest plate boundary. How do the Hawaiian Islands and other volcanoes that form in the interior of plates fit into the plate-tectonics picture?
Thumbnail: Over possibly millions of years, the Earth has come to have seven continents. Credit: NASA