Bernhard Steinberger on Whether Hotspots Are Fixed

Bernhard Steinberger examines whether volcanic hotspots provide a fixed reference frame for plate motion. The discussion combines paleomagnetic records, island-chain ages and mantle-flow models, showing how plumes can drift with mantle circulation. Contrasting the Hawaiian and Louisville tracks helps distinguish hotspot motion from changes in plate direction and illustrates the limits of treating hotspots as stationary.