Louisville hotspot
The Louisville hotspot is a volcanic hotspot responsible for the volcanic activity that has formed the Louisville Ridge in the southern Pacific Ocean.
Location
The Louisville hotspot is believed to lie close to the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, although its exact present location is uncertain.[1]
Geological history
The Louisville hotspot has produced the Louisville Ridge, which is one of the longest seamount chains on Earth, stretching some 4,300 km (2,672 mi)[2] from the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge to the Tonga Trench where it subducts under the Indo-Australian Plate as part of the Pacific Plate.
The Louisville hotspot is believed to have been active since at least 78.8 ± 1.3 Ma based on age of the oldest seamount (Osbourn
The Louisville hotspot may have helped create the Ontong Java Plateau, the world's largest oceanic plateau, around 120 million years ago. The modelled locations of the plateau and hotspot at the time do not coincide under one recent plate reconstruction, arguing against this, although other factors mean their linkage may still be possible.[6] One other factor is compositional studies which would suggest that only part of the Ontong Java Plateau that separated quite early is related to the Louisville hotspot.[7] The compositional studies also define that the hot spot magma produces a distinct alkali basalt compared to the eruptives from the Hawaii hotspot.[7]
See also
- Louisville Ridge
- Christmas Island Seamount Province
- Arago hotspot
- Rarotonga hotspot
- Hollister Ridge
- Osbourn Seamount the oldest of the Louisville Ridge
References
- ^ ISBN 0-521-01472-7.
- Bibcode:2007AGUFM.V42B..06V. Abstract no. #V42B-06.
- S2CID 55376246.
- ISSN 1752-0894.
- S2CID 198407241.
- S2CID 129116505.
- ^ S2CID 128524309.