Magma plumes and their relationship to plate movement
A magma plume is a column of superheated rock that rises from deep in the mantle. It burns through a tectonic plate above it, creating a volcano — even far from a plate margin.
Real World
The Hawaiian island chain forms a trail of progressively older volcanoes stretching northwest across the Pacific, created as the Pacific Plate slowly moved over a fixed mantle plume — with the Big Island sitting over the hotspot today.
Exam Focus
Emphasise that the plume is stationary and the plate moves over it; this contrast with margin volcanism is a common exam discriminator.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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