Researchers have discovered a hidden “hotspot” that played a crucial role in the formation of the Great Lakes around 20,000 years ago. The hotspot, now located under the Atlantic Ocean, is believed to have heated and stretched the Earth’s crust, creating a low spot that glaciers later carved out during the last ice age.
According to scientists, the Cape Verde hotspot, which still exists today in the Central Atlantic Ocean, was once situated under the Great Lakes region. This hotspot, similar to those found in Hawaii and Yellowstone National Park, is thought to have created volcanoes and other geological features as it moved beneath the surface.
The discovery of the hotspot was made by a team of researchers at the University of Houston, who were studying the movement of tectonic plates and their impact on the formation of the North American continent. They found that earthquake waves traveling through the crust under the Great Lakes region exhibited unusual patterns, which indicated that the area had undergone significant deformation.
Further analysis revealed that the hotspot had been located under Lake Superior between 300 million and 225 million years ago, when North America was still part of the supercontinent Pangaea. As the continent shifted above it, the hotspot traveled through other areas, eventually reaching its current location in the Atlantic Ocean around 170 million years ago.
The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the Earth’s geology and the formation of large inland lakes. By connecting lake regions to ancient hotspots, scientists may uncover new insights into the role of mantle phenomena in shaping the continents.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/scientists-discover-ancient-hotspot-that-birthed-the-great-lakes-300-million-years-ago