1 From plate tectonics to plumes, and back again.
1.1 Volcanoes, and exceptional volcanoes.
1.2 Early beginnings: Continental drift and its rejection.
1.3 Emergence of the Plume hypothesis.
1.4 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis.
1.5 Lists of plumes.
1.6 Testing plume predictions.
1.7 A quick tour of Hawaii and Iceland.
1.8 Moving on: Holism and alternatives.
1.9 The Plate hypothesis.
1.10 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis.
1.11 Testing the Plate hypothesis.
1.12 Revisiting Hawaii and Iceland.
1.13 Questions and problems.
2 Vertical motions.
2.1 Introduction.
2.2 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis.
2.3 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis.
2.4 Comparison of the predictions of the Plume and Plate hypotheses.
2.5 Observations.
2.5.1 Classifying melting anomalies.
2.5.2 Volcanic chains with initial flood basalts.
2.5.3 Volcanic chains without initial flood basalts.
2.5.4 Active flood basalt provinces lacking volcanic chains.
2.5.5 Extinct flood basalt provinces lacking volcanic chains.
2.5.6 Vertical motions without flood basalt magmatism.
2.6 Plume variants.
2.7 Discussion.
3 Volcanism.
3.1 Introduction.
3.2 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis.
3.3 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis.
3.4 Comparison of the predictions of the Plume and Plate hypotheses.
3.5 Observations.
3.5.1 Classifying melting anomalies.
3.5.2 Large-volume, sustained volcanism.
3.5.2.1 On-ridge volcanism.
3.5.2.2 Near-ridge volcanism.
3.5.2.3 Off-ridge volcanism.
3.5.3 Large-volume, brief volcanism.
3.5.4 Small-volume, sustained volcanism.
3.5.5 Small-volume, brief volcanism.
3.6 Plume variants.
3.7 Discussion.
4 Time progressions and relative fixity of melting anomalies.
4.1 Introduction.
4.2 Methods.
4.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis.
4.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis.
4.5 Observations.
4.5.1 Melting anomalies without tracks.
4.5.2 Short-lived melting anomalies.
4.5.3 Melting anomalies with long chains that are not time-progressive.
4.5.4 Melting anomalies with long, time-progressive tracks.
4.6 Hotspot reference frames.
4.7 Plume variants.
4.8 Discussion.
5 Seismology.
5.1 Introduction.
5.2 Seismological techniques.
5.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis.
5.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis.
5.5 Observations.
5.5.1 Well-studied melting anomalies on extensive land masses.
5.5.1.1 The North Atlantic Igneous Province.
5.5.1.2 The European Cenozoic Volcanic Province.
5.5.1.3 Yellowstone.
5.5.2 Less-well-studied melting anomalies in remote regions.
5.5.3 Structure beneath extinct melting anomalies, and elsewhere.
5.6 Global observations.
5.6.1 Whole-mantle tomography.
5.6.2 Global variations in the transition zone.
5.6.3 The core-mantle boundary.
5.7 Plume variants.
5.8 Discussion.
6 Temperature and heat.
6.1 Introduction.
6.2 Methods.
6.2.1 Seismology.
6.2.2 Petrological and geochemical methods.
6.2.3 Ocean floor bathymetry.
6.2.4 Heat flow.
6.2.5 Heat loss from intrusions and eruptives.
6.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis.
6.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis.
6.5 Observations.
6.5.1 Mid-ocean ridges.
6.5.2 The North Atlantic Igneous Province.
6.5.3 Hawaii.
6.5.4 Oceanic plateaus.
6.5.5 Swells.
6.6 Variants of the Plume hypothesis.
6.7 Discussion.
7. Petrology and geochemistry.
7.1 Introduction.
7.2 Some basics.
7.2.1 Tholeiite and alkali basalts.
7.2.2 Mantle composition and heterogeneity.
7.2.3 From melt to source rocks.
7.2.4 Trace elements and rare-earth elements.
7.2.5 Radiogenic isotope ratios.
7.2.6 The mantle zoo.
7.2.7 MORB, OIB, tholeiites and alkali basalt.
7.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis.
7.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis.
7.5 Proposed deep-mantle- and core-mantle-boundary tracers.
7.5.1 Helium (He) isotope ratios.
7.5.2 Neon (Ne) isotope ratios.
7.5.3 The Rhenium-Osmium (Re-Os), Platinum-Osmium (Pt-Os) and Hafnium-Tungsten (Hf-W) isotope systems.
7.6 A few highlights from melting anomalies.
7.6.1 Iceland & Greenland.
7.6.2 Emperor & Hawaiian chains.
7.6.3 Flood basalts.
7.6.4 Back-arc regions.
7.7 Plume variants.
7.8 Discussion.
8. Synthesis.
8.1 Introduction.
8.1.1 In the beginning.
8.1.2 The rise and fall of plumes.
8.1.3 The ins and outs: Volume.
8.1.4 The when and where.
8.1.5 Redium and blueium.
8.1.6 Are ?hot spots? hot?
8.1.7 Chemical messengers.
8.2 Mantle convection.
8.3 An unfalsifiable hypothesis.
8.4 Diversity: a smoking gun.
8.5 The need for joined-up science.
8.6 The future.