Studying continental movement over 'hotspot' reveals internal workings of volcanoes

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) Scientists have learned about the internal workings of volcanoes by studying the northward movement of the Australian continent over a 'hotspot' inside the Earth during the last 35 million years, which left behind volcanic relics across its landscape.

The researchers from University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, said these relics revealed that the inner structure of the Australian volcanoes became increasingly complex as the hotspot's magma output decreased. Their research is published in Nature Geoscience.

The hotspot was incredibly strong in its early stages, generating some of eastern Australia's most beloved natural attractions, according to one of the researchers, Al-Tamini Tapu.