Upper-mantle origin of the Yellowstone hotspot

Abstract

Research Article| October 01, 2002 Upper-mantle origin of the Yellowstone hotspot Robert L. Christiansen; Robert L. Christiansen 1U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar G.R. Foulger; G.R. Foulger 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar John R. Evans John R. Evans 3U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Robert L. Christiansen 1U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA G.R. Foulger 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK John R. Evans 3U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 22 Aug 2001 Revision Received: 25 Mar 2002 Accepted: 29 Apr 2002 First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2002) 114 (10): 1245–1256. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(2002)114<1245:UMOOTY>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 22 Aug 2001 Revision Received: 25 Mar 2002 Accepted: 29 Apr 2002 First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Robert L. Christiansen, G.R. Foulger, John R. Evans; Upper-mantle origin of the Yellowstone hotspot. GSA Bulletin 2002;; 114 (10): 1245–1256. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(2002)114<1245:UMOOTY>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Fundamental features of the geology and tectonic setting of the northeast-propagating Yellowstone hotspot are not explained by a simple deep-mantle plume hypothesis and, within that framework, must be attributed to coincidence or be explained by auxiliary hypotheses. These features include the persistence of basaltic magmatism along the hotspot track, the origin of the hotspot during a regional middle Miocene tectonic reorganization, a similar and coeval zone of northwestward magmatic propagation, the occurrence of both zones of magmatic propagation along a first-order tectonic boundary, and control of the hotspot track by preexisting structures. Seismic imaging provides no evidence for, and several contraindications of, a vertically extensive plume-like structure beneath Yellowstone or a broad trailing plume head beneath the eastern Snake River Plain. The high helium isotope ratios observed at Yellowstone and other hotspots are commonly assumed to arise from the lower mantle, but upper-mantle processes can explain the observations. The available evidence thus renders an upper-mantle origin for the Yellowstone system the preferred model; there is no evidence that the system extends deeper than ∼200 km, and some evidence that it does not. A model whereby the Yellowstone system reflects feedback between upper-mantle convection and regional lithospheric tectonics is able to explain the observations better than a deep-mantle plume hypothesis. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.