Tectonic Hotspots
WorldPhysical EnvironmentLocations of tectonic hotspots—areas in the mantle where heat rises as a thermal plume from deep in the Earth.
A world map shows tectonic hotspots around the globe, marked with red dots. High concentrations of hotspots are found along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the Pacific Ring of Fire. Areas with fewer hotspots include Europe, Asia, and Australia.
In North America, prominent hotspots are concentrated along the western United States, including the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, extending into Alaska. Additional hotspots are found in the Gulf of California, and in Central America, especially in Mexico and Guatemala. The Atlantic Ocean features multiple hotspots, notably near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Africa's hotspots are primarily situated along the East African Rift, particularly in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, with others scattered across the continent, including Nigeria and Algeria. The Indian Ocean hosts several hotspots, especially near Madagascar and the Seychelles. In Europe, hotspots are visible in Iceland, France, and Spain. Asia's tectonic activity is concentrated in Vietnam and Cambodia. The western part of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly Saudi Arabia, also shows considerable tectonic activity. The regions of Mongolia and Japan show numerous tectonic hotspots. The map also shows hotspots in the South Pacific Ocean, near New Zealand and various island nations.
Tectonic Hotspots | very high (>300) | high (100–300) | medium (20–100) | low (2–20) | very low (<2) | high (100–300) | medium (20–100) | low–very low (<20) | very high–high (>100) | medium–very low (<100) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | 1 | 10.9% | 1.73% | 69.2% | |||||||
Arizona | 1 | 2.82% | 3.38% | 7.86% | 26.1% | 30.0% | |||||
Utah | 1 | 19.0% | 13.5% | 4.33% | 52.4% | 8.18% | |||||
Yukon | 1 | 2.68% | 1.03% | 94.3% | |||||||
Northwest Territories | 0.393% | 14.9% | 20.5% | 0.340% | |||||||
District of Columbia | 100% | ||||||||||
Florida | 67.8% | 3.90% | |||||||||
Idaho | 1 | 0.187% | 2.97% | 8.14% | 5.84% | 27.5% | 16.7% | 38.6% | |||
New Hampshire | 100% | ||||||||||
Rhode Island | 95.4% | ||||||||||
Vermont | 100% | ||||||||||
Washington | 9.44% | 21.7% | 1.72% | 5.32% | 11.6% | 26.7% | 12.4% | ||||
Wyoming | 1 | 9.28% | 70.8% | 0.149% | |||||||
Nunavut | 1.56% | 18.2% | |||||||||
Montana | 1.96% | 56.5% | 4.73% | 1.30% | |||||||
Maine | 99.6% | 0.281% | |||||||||
North Dakota | 25.0% | 35.7% | 38.6% | ||||||||
Kentucky | 4.79% | 60.6% | 34.6% | ||||||||
Nova Scotia | 25.1% | 6.85% | |||||||||
Virginia | 25.5% | 28.7% | 45.7% | ||||||||
Delaware | 97.7% | 1.87% | |||||||||
Prince Edward Island | 98.8% | ||||||||||
Saskatchewan | 7.13% | 4.36% | 15.3% | 6.27% | 23.7% | ||||||
Mississippi | 80.4% | 0.601% | 11.5% | ||||||||
West Virginia | 99.3% | 0.714% | |||||||||
Nebraska | 45.3% | 37.3% | 4.89% | 3.30% | |||||||
Texas | 15.3% | 1.57% | 15.4% | 1.38% | 14.5% | 1.86% | 6.12% | ||||
Missouri | 5.80% | 47.7% | 11.5% | 24.4% | 9.83% | ||||||
Louisiana | 99.6% | ||||||||||
Hawaii | 1 | 7.83% | 2.03% | ||||||||
North Carolina | 38.6% | 0.266% | 54.6% | ||||||||
Oregon | 1 | 4.58% | 2.26% | 3.46% | 4.92% | 49.2% | 17.6% | 0.416% | |||
New Brunswick | 0.131% | 55.2% | 0.167% | ||||||||
Alabama | 52.2% | 32.1% | 10.6% | ||||||||
New Mexico | 1 | 9.01% | 8.20% | 2.38% | 17.5% | 42.2% | |||||
Kansas | 13.6% | 26.2% | 18.1% | 41.9% | |||||||
Wisconsin | 42.1% | 16.2% | 35.1% | ||||||||
British Columbia | 1 | 0.939% | 8.63% | 3.82% | 42.0% | 15.4% | |||||
Newfoundland and Labrador | 63.0% | 10.9% | |||||||||
New Jersey | 62.4% | 37.3% | |||||||||
South Carolina | 62.7% | 37.3% | |||||||||
Michigan | 26.5% | 66.0% | |||||||||
Alberta | 11.4% | 3.76% | 18.2% | 32.1% | 8.32% | 2.17% | 3.59% | ||||
Connecticut | 99.9% | ||||||||||
Pennsylvania | 1.35% | 83.5% | 10.2% | ||||||||
Colorado | 1 | 3.69% | 14.3% | 3.67% | 9.04% | 16.4% | 46.7% | ||||
Nevada | 0.846% | 77.8% | 0.958% | 0.158% | 10.3% | ||||||
Massachusetts | 0.204% | 98.0% | |||||||||
Georgia | 50.4% | 4.39% | 36.4% | ||||||||
New York | 2.89% | 5.91% | 91.1% | ||||||||
Maryland | 64.7% | 13.9% | 20.7% | ||||||||
Québec | 0.272% | 70.7% | 19.6% | ||||||||
Manitoba | 1.61% | 4.56% | 6.78% | 4.33% | 51.3% | ||||||
Oklahoma | 9.60% | 2.65% | 7.80% | 23.7% | 54.6% | ||||||
Tennessee | 21.5% | 71.6% | 3.39% | ||||||||
Ontario | 13.7% | 8.23% | 4.40% | 59.7% | 1.73% | ||||||
California | 1.53% | 8.91% | 2.60% | 8.90% | 3.94% | 0.295% | 0.750% | 14.0% | 3.26% | ||
Arkansas | 49.6% | 14.2% | 36.2% | ||||||||
South Dakota | 4.24% | 4.28% | 9.35% | 8.75% | 73.3% | ||||||
Ohio | 88.6% | 3.31% | |||||||||
Indiana | 65.5% | 0.222% | 12.0% | ||||||||
Minnesota | 7.33% | 24.3% | 29.3% | 39.1% | |||||||
Iowa | 38.7% | 26.5% | 11.3% | 6.08% | |||||||
Illinois | 0.557% | 94.5% | 0.407% | ||||||||