Hot spot

Hot spot, There are particular areas in the world where pockets of magma from EarthÍs mantle rise very slowly to the surface. These places are called ñhot spots.î As magma pierces EarthÍs crust, it collects and gradually begins to form small volcanic mountains in the middle of the tectonic plate. The positions of these volcanoes show the movement of the tectonic plates, which are floating on the mantle. As the plates slide, the rising magma creates a new volcano that slowly burns out. In the ocean, hot spots can be identified by the chains of volcanic islands they usually form. The islands of the Hawaiian Archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean were created in this way. (Photo by: QAI Publishing/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)