Springer Mantle Plumes: A Multidisciplinary Approach

The concept of mantle plumes is a key to understanding intraplate volcanism in the framework of modern plate tectonics. Recent progress in instrumental, analytical and satellite technology enables scientists to verify the plume hypothesis with seismic tomography, isotope geochemistry and other sophisticated techniques. In this book, a group of experts review these advances in plume research and present a general overview on recent plume studies. Review From the reviews: "This book, with 16 chapters and color plates, covers a diversity of topics dealing with the recognition and characterization of mantle plumes. … There is a wide range in the depth of coverage and quality of the papers in the book. Some chapters are review papers and some are papers presenting new data. The book presents a good balance between geophysical and geochemical topics. … The intended audience of the book are primarily geophysicists and geochemists interested in the mantle." (Kent C. Condie, Eos, Vol. 89 (11), 2008) "The book comprises 16 individual papers, each focusing on a particular volcanic region or geological discipline. … This means that the papers will be useful to a wider range of people … . As well as appealing to experts due to the inclusion of research at the forefront of the field, this book is accessible to non-experts thanks to the comprehensive background summaries and method explanations. Each paper is written as a self-contained unit making it easy for readers to dip in … ." (Bryony Youngs, Geological Magazine, Vol. 145 (4), 2008) "The mantle plumes, a term coined by J. Tuzo Wilson in 1963, are still controversial issue, particularly in terms of their depth of origin, their morphology, their longevity, even their existence. … this book aims to bring some order to the discussion on this topic. … This volume will be interesting to geologists and geophysicists from various disciplines of the Earth sciences, particularly geodynamics, geochemistry, and seismic tomography. It also will be very useful for recent graduated students at geological and geophysical faculties." (Marek Lewandowski, Pure and Applied Geophysics, Vol. 166, 2009) About the Author Joachim R. R. Ritter is an expert in seismological experiments and seismic tomography. He has conducted research at volcanic fields in East Africa, California and Central Europe to reveal the deep roots of the magmatic processes. He is working at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Karlsruhe.Ulrich R. Christensen is a director at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Lindau Katlenburg. He applies fluid dynamics to study the dynamic processes in planets.