From deep mantle flow to surface hotspot swells

Last updated: August 2026

About

Mantle plumes can produce broad topographic swells, volcanism, and changes in plate elevation. Buoyancy flux provides a measure of hot, buoyant material rising through the mantle, yet estimates from surface topography can disagree with fluxes measured in mantle-convection models. The discrepancy can reflect plume life cycle, plate motion, mantle structure, or assumptions made when interpreting surface observations.

This project will compare surface-based estimates of plume buoyancy flux with direct measurements from global mantle-convection simulations. It will track plumes through time and assess how their deep structure, interaction with moving plates, and ambient mantle affect their surface expression.

Research questions

• Which properties control the relationship between deep plume flux and surface topography?
• Why do African and Pacific plume domains appear to differ?
• When does surface topography provide a reliable measure of mantle buoyancy flux?

Methods and data

Projects can use global mantle-convection models, plume-tracking methods, dynamic-topography observations, bathymetry, gravity, plate reconstructions, and uncertainty analysis.

Possible projects

Possible directions include measuring plume flux at several depths, testing the role of plate motion, comparing African and Pacific systems, or evaluating the assumptions behind a published surface-flux estimate.

Essential background

Useful preparation includes geophysics, geology, physics, mathematics, programming, or numerical modelling.