Implication for mantle flow from the Hawaiian-Emperor chain

Assuming that Rayleigh-Benard flow occurs within the upper mantle, ascending plumes must undergo horizontal displacement during ascent that can be traced at the surface. It is shown that the Hawaiian-Emperor bend cannot be formed if the convection rate is of the same order of magnitude as the ascent rate of the plumes. The plume patterns obtained by push-pull or lithospheric sliding are similar to that of the Hawaiian-Emperor chain. Hence the present results support the sliding model.