 Piton de la Fournaise, an activeshield volcano formed by the Réunion hotspot | |
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Réunion |
| Coordinates | 21°06′S55°30′E / 21.1°S 55.5°E /-21.1; 55.5 |
TheRéunion hotspot is avolcanichotspot which currently lies under the island ofRéunion in theIndian Ocean. TheChagos-Laccadive Ridge and the southern part of theMascarene Plateau are volcanic traces of the Réunion hotspot.[1]
The hotspot is believed to have been active for over 65 million years. A huge eruption of this hotspot 65 million years ago is thought to have laid down theDeccan Traps, a vast bed ofbasalt lava that covers part of centralIndia, and opened a rift which separated India from theSeychelles Plateau. The Deccan Traps eruption coincided roughly with the nearlyantipodalChicxulub impactor andthe Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction of thedinosaurs, and there is considerable speculation that the three events were related.[2][3] As the Indian plate drifted north, the hotspot continued to punch through the plate, creating a string of volcanic islands and undersea plateaux. TheLaccadive Islands, theMaldives, and theChagos Archipelago areatolls resting on former volcanoes created 60–45 million years ago that subsequently submerged below sea level. About 45 million years ago theCentral Indian Ridge crossed over the hotspot, and the hotspot passed under theAfrican Plate.
The hotspot appears to have been relatively quiet 45–10 million years ago, when activity resumed, creating theMascarene Islands, which includeMauritius,Réunion, andRodrigues. Mauritius and Rodrigues Ridge were created 8–10 million years ago, and Rodrigues and Réunion Islands in the last two million years.Piton de la Fournaise, ashield volcano on the southeastern corner of Réunion, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.[4]