The concept of mantle plumes, hot buoyant rock masses that rise in the mantle, is a key to understand intraplate volcanism in the framework of modern plate tectonics. Recent progress in instrumental, analytical and satellite technology enables scientists to verify the plume hypothesis with seismic tomography, isotope geochemistry and other sophisticated techniques. A group of experts review these advances in plume research, and present a general overview on recent plume studies. The mainly interdisciplinary written chapters will be also attractive for lecturers preparing their courses.

Offers a comprehensive and current interdisciplinary (geophysics, geochemistry, petrology, volcanology, geology) review of mantle plumes Mainly interdisciplinary written chapters will be also attractive for lecturers preparing their courses.

Autorentext

Joachim R. R. Ritter is an expert in seismological experiments and seismic tomography. He has conducted research at volcanic fields in East Africa, California and Central Europe to reveal the deep roots of the magmatic processes. He is working at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Karlsruhe.

Ulrich R. Christensen is a director at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Lindau Katlenburg. He applies fluid dynamics to study the dynamic processes in planets.

Inhalt
Basic Properties of Mantle Plumes.- Fluid Dynamics of Mantle Plumes.- Case studies.- Tracing the Hawaiian Mantle Plume by Converted Seismic Waves.- Iceland: The current picture of a ridge-centred mantle plume.- Combined Gas-geochemical and Receiver Function Studies of the Vogtland/NW Bohemia Intraplate Mantle Degassing Field, Central Europe.- Crustal and Upper Mantle Structure of the French Massif Central Plume.- Eifel Region.- Geodynamic Setting of the Tertiary Hocheifel Volcanism (Germany), Part I: 40Ar/39Ar geochronology.- Geodynamic Setting of the Tertiary Hocheifel Volcanism (Germany), Part II: Geochemistry and Sr, Nd and Pb Isotopic Compositions.- The Quaternary Volcanic Fields of the East and West Eifel (Germany).- Thermal and Geochemical Evolution of the Shallow Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle Beneath the Eifel: Constraints from Mantle Xenoliths, a Review.- He-Ne-Ar Isotope Systematics of Eifel and Pannonian Basin Mantle Xenoliths Trace Deep Mantle Plume-Lithosphere Interaction Beneath the European Continent.- Quaternary Uplift in the Eifel Area.- The Seismic Signature of the Eifel Plume.- Upper Mantle Structure Beneath the Eifel from Receiver Functions.- Rayleigh Wave Dispersion in the Eifel Region.- Seismic Anisotropy in the Asthenosphere Beneath the Eifel Region, Western Germany.- Gravity Observations in the Western Rhenish Massif and Forward Modelling of the Eifel Plume Bouguer Anomaly.