Hotspot (geology)

When the Earth gets angry, it sometimes starts to heat up in one spot. This is called a hotspot. It's like a big pot of boiling soup that's bubbling up in one spot. When this happens, it can create volcanoes and make the land rise up in a big mound. And sometimes, if the hotspot stays in one place for a really long time, it can create a chain of volcanoes that are all lined up in a row. It's like when you put a bunch of toys in a line and they all look the same, but they're each a little bit different. The Earth has lots of hotspots, but they're not all active at the same time. And even when they're not active, they can still leave behind clues that help us understand how the land has changed over time.