Eifel hotspot

The Eifel hotspot is a volcanic area sometimes categorised as a "hotspot" in Western Germany. It is one of many recent volcanic formations in and around the Eifel mountain range, especially the volcanic field known as Volcanic Eifel. Although the last eruption occurred around 10,000 years ago, the presence of escaping volcanic gases in the region indicates that it is still active, if only weakly. A seismic anomaly has been seen in the upper mantle underneath the Eifel volcanic area[1] and this interpreted mantle plume has been found to be actively buoyant as evidenced by large-scale uplift and extension of the Earth's surface above the plume.[2]

This map shows postulated volcanic hotspots on Earth. The Eifel hotspot is marked 8.

See also

• List of volcanic regions postulated to be hotspots
• List of volcanoes in Europe
• List of volcanoes in Germany

References

1. J.R.R. Ritter (2007). "The seismic signature of the Eifel plume". Mantle Plumes - A Multidisciplinary Approach. Springer. pp. 379–404. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-68046-8_12. ISBN 978-3-540-68045-1.
2. Corné Kreemer; Geoffrey Blewitt; Paul M. Davis. (2020). "Geodetic evidence for a buoyant mantle plume beneath the Eifel volcanic area, NW Europe". Geophysical Journal International. 222 (2): 1316–1332. doi:10.1093/gji/ggaa227.