Plates vs Plumes – A Geological Controversy A Geological Controversy

1. From plate tectonics to plumes, and back again. 1.1 Volcanoes, and exceptional volcanoe. 1.2 Early beginnings: Continental drift and its rejection. 1.3 Emergence of the Plume hypothesis. 1.4 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis. 1.5 Lists of plumes. 1.6 Testing plume predictions. 1.7 A quick tour of Hawaii and Iceland. 1.8 Moving on: Holism and alternatives. 1.9 The Plate hypothesis. 1.10 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis. 1.11 Testing the Plate hypothesis. 1.12 Revisiting Hawaii and Iceland. 1.13 Questions and problems. 2. Vertical motions. 2.1 Introduction. 2.2 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis. 2.3 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis. 2.4 Comparison of the predictions of the Plume and Plate hypotheses. 2.5 Observations. 2.6 Plume variants. 2.7 Discussion. 3. Volcanism. 3.1 Introduction. 3.2 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis. 3.3 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis. 3.4 Comparison of the predictions of the Plume and Plate hypotheses. 3.5 Observations. 3.6 Plume variants. 3.7 Discussion. 4. Time progressions and relative fixity of melting anomalies. 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 Methods. 4.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis. 4.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis. 4.5 Observations. 4.6 Hotspot reference frames. 4.7 Plume variants. 4.8 Discussion. 5. Seismology. 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 Seismological techniques. 5.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis. 5.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis. 5.5 Observations. 5.6 Global observations. 5.7 Plume variants. 5.8 Discussion. 6. Temperature and heat. 6.1 Introduction. 6.2 Methods. 6.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis. 6.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis. 6.5 Observations. 6.6 Variants of the Plume hypothesis. 6.7 Discussion. 7. Petrology and geochemistry. 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 Some basics. 7.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis. 7.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis. 7.5 Proposed deep-mantle- and core-mantle-boundary tracers. 7.6 A few highlights from melting anomalies. 7.7 Plume variants. 7.8 Discussion. 8. Synthesis. 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 Mantle convection. 8.3 An unfalsifiable hypothesis. 8.4 Diversity: a smoking gun. 8.5 The need for joined-up science. 8.6 The future.