Question

Which of the following statements about hot spots is false?

1) the hot spot that is currently active beneath Yellowstone National Park was previously active beneath southern Idaho and Oregon
2) seamounts (i.e. mountains that do not rise above the surface of the sea) located to the northwest of the Hawaiian Island chain are products of a hot spot
3) igneous rocks at Magnet Cove in west-central Arkansas are likely the product of an ancient hot spot
4) hot spots are caused by rising narrow plumes of hot mantle rock originating from near the core-mantle boundary
5) hot spots are caused by intense frictional heating along faults in the mantle

Answer 1

The false statement about hot spots is that they are caused by intense frictional heating along faults in the mantle; hot spots are actually due to rising plumes of hot mantle rock from near the core-mantle boundary.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement about hot spots that is false is: hot spots are caused by intense frictional heating along faults in the mantle. Hot spots are not primarily formed by frictional heating but are instead caused by rising narrow plumes of hot mantle rock, thought to originate near the core-mantle boundary. This process leads to volcanic activity in locations that are not necessarily associated with plate boundaries. Examples of volcanic activity resulting from hot spots include the Hawaiian Island chain, which was formed as the Pacific Plate moved northwest over a hot spot, creating a long chain of volcanic islands and seamounts, and the volcanic activity under Yellowstone National Park, which is also a result of a hot spot previously active beneath southern Idaho and Oregon.