Mantle plume, a geothermal heat source under West Antarctic ice sheet

Mantle plume, a geothermal heat source under West Antarctic ice sheet

A new study adds to evidence that a geothermal heat source called a mantle plume lies deep below Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land, explaining some of the melting that forms lakes and rivers under the ice sheet. Although the heat source isn't a new or increasing…

Hotspots driving tectonic plate movement

Hotspots driving tectonic plate movement

Plate tectonics has been on the curriculum for a while now. Most people are fairly familiar with the theory; the Earth's crust – or lithosphere – is broken up into different plates which move around on the very hot, viscous substance beneath.This movement is driven

Source of Hawaii volcanism found

Source of Hawaii volcanism found

For years, researchers have debated whether or not the Hawaiian hot spot — the active volcanic region that created the islands — is fueled by a plume of hot magma rising straight up from the Earth's depths. Not so, new research finds. Instead, a giant, d