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Tracking missing mantle plume in ancient Samoa: researchers shed light on 30 million year gap

Bathymetric map of the Pacific region focusing on the trajectory of Samoa’s Hotspot 100 Mil, from Samoa’s hotspot active volcanoes (Vailuluu Seamount) to the Dutton Ridge (near the Mariana Trench). Credit: AGU Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023AV001079 As magma plumes rise through the Earth’s lithosphere, volcanoes, islands, seamounts, and other features form on the Earth’s surface. As tectonic plates move over…