'Hot Spots' Geography Worksheet printable pdf download

'Hot Spots' Geography Worksheet

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HOT SPOTS

The Earth’s lithosphere (crust and rigid mantle) is broken into numerous plates. These plates are situated on a

partially melted and moving asthenosphere (plastic mantle). In areas where the asthenosphere is hot, magma

rises and diverges causing ridges. In area where the asthenosphere is colder, magma sinks causing a trench at a

convergent plate boundary. These convection currents in the mantle cause the continents to drift and are the

driving force behind the earthquakes that occur on Earth.

The exceptions to this rule are hot spots. Hot spots form from magma plumes that originate deeper in the Earth

below the asthenosphere. The location of the hot spot remains stationary and the crust slowly moves over the

hot spot. As the crust moves over the hot spot, volcanic islands can form in a chain formation as shown below.

The island currently over the hot spot is an active volcano. The islands to the right are used to be over the hot

spot and were active volcanoes that have since moved and become dormant. You can tell the direction of plate

motion by drawing an arrow from the active volcano to the oldest volcano.

'Hot Spots' Geography Worksheet