Plume-Ridge Interactions Seminar
This MIT OpenCourseWare seminar examines how mantle plumes and mid-ocean ridges shape the Earth's crust, both today and across geologic history. It opens with the basics of mantle convection and global tectonics, then surveys the worldwide distribution of hotspots and ridge systems before turning to detailed case studies of places where plume and ridge systems interact. Students compare these cases to separate the fundamental physics and chemistry from the noise in real geophysical and geochemical data, covering how heat from the Earth's interior becomes new crust, drives hydrothermal circulation, and supports seafloor biological communities. Materials include the syllabus, readings, and session-by-session topic outlines from the seminar as taught in 2001. The course is aimed at advanced students already familiar with basic geodynamics who want to work through primary research problems in mantle upwelling. No enrollment or certificate is offered; materials are free to use under MIT's open license.