New study reveals moving hotspot formed massive underwater mountain range in Indian Ocean

A new study reveals that the Ninetyeast Ridge in the Indian Ocean, a submerged mountain range over 5,000 kilometers long, was formed by a moving hotspot rather than a stationary one. This finding challenges previous beliefs about volcanic hotspot behavior. Researchers found that the Kerguelen hotspot, responsible for the ridge, moved several hundred kilometers within the Earth's mantle over millions of years. This movement is thought to be common but had only been documented in a few Pacific hotspots before this study. The study, involving scientists from multiple countries, used basalt samples to show that the ridge's peaks formed at a slower rate than the surrounding seafloor spreading. This suggests the hotspot was not fixed beneath the Indian Plate, leading to new insights into ancient tectonic movements.