Talk:Slab gap hypothesis

Hi, mav. Does the use of mantle plume in this article match the commonly accepted geological definition? I've heard mantle plumes as the thingies underneath hot spots, not the big convection currents that drive plate tectonics. For examples of usage, check out [1] or [2]. -- hike395 04:50 12 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Yes, mantle plumes are thought to cause hot spots but larger ones, or ones under thinner crust, are also thought to be the source of triple junction formation and extention/flood basalts. Some researchers, such as W. Jason Morgan of Princeton University go on to state that mantle plumes alone are able to drive plate tectonics (as a matter of fact my physical geology professor taught that as if it were an undisputed fact - thus I wrote what I did). I beginning to realize that my lecture notes/professors and textbooks are biased! Good thing the Wikipedia process is able to work these things out. --mav