Scientists told how he formed the largest volcanoes on Earth
A study conducted under the guidance of experts from the Australian national University, showed how formed the largest and most active volcanoes on Earth.
The results are published in the journal Nature.
According to one of the authors, an expert from the Australian national University Tim Jones, the existence of two ridges of large volcanoes near Hawaii scientists had known since 1849, but the cause remained unknown. Unusual about them is that they, unlike most volcanoes, formed away from the boundaries of tectonic plates.
As found by the authors, these volcanoes were formed when the Pacific plate shift three million years ago. The appearance of the volcanoes “in the middle” of the lithospheric plates called mantle plumes — hot rising ow, and it is important that the direction of movement of the plume and the lithospheric plates differ. According to scientists, in the future, these movements may again coincide, and the two ridges merge to one.
In addition, the researchers found that at the same time, three million years ago, formed two ridges in other parts of the Pacific, including Samoa.
“Plate motions occurred in the history of the Earth constantly, but irregularly. Looking further into history, we see that the dual ridge is not a unique phenomenon. They coincide with other changes in the movement of plates,” said study co — author, a specialist in the field of Earth Sciences Australian national University Rhodri Davies.