Isostasy, flexure and dynamic processes all influence the shape of the Earth’s surface. While the first two processes are well understood, dynamic topography remains controversial. On the continents, dynamic uplift is often expressed by positive long-wavelength gravity anomalies, radial drainage patterns, and slow seismic velocity anomalies within the upper mantle. Volcanic activity and elevated heat flow are also often observed. The aim of this study is to investigate the link between geochemical compositions of intracontinental magmatism and geophysical, geomorphological and geodetic observations of dynamic uplift. Three volcanic regions are considered in detail: western North America, northeast Brazil and Madagascar. The combined database includes 348 new whole-rock geochemical analyses. Rare earth element concentrations of mafic, asthenospheric-derived volcanic samples are exploited to calculate the depth and temperature of melt generation by inverse modelling. A sensitivity test of this modelling scheme is carried out. Lithospheric thickness and mantle temperature are independently determined from shear wave velocity models. Beneath western North America, a negative correlation between shear wave velocities at depths of 70–150 km and degree of melting is observed. Temperatures obtained from igneous compositions and from shear wave velocity profiles beneath volcanic fields closely agree. Melts are produced within, or close to, the spinel-garnet transition zone at depths shallower than $\sim$70 km, yielding mantle potential temperatures of up to 1380$^{\circ}$C. Calculated uplift and heat flow based upon these results match observed surface elevation and heat flow measurements. In northeast Brazil, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Cenozoic phases of mafic igneous activity are recognised. Jurassic magmatic activity probably resulted from spinel-field melting at potential temperatures of $\sim$1380$^{\circ}$C. This episode is associated with regional magmatism during break-up of the Central Atlantic Ocean. Cretaceous compositions record melting at potential temperatures of 1330–70$^{\circ}$C at similar depths. This activity is linked to extension at the time of break-up of the equatorial and South Atlantic Ocean. Cenozoic volcanism comprises low-degree melts within the spinel-garnet transition zone at ambient potential temperature. Shear wave velocity models support these results. Cenozoic volcanism in Madagascar is predominantly alkaline and records small-degree melting with minor temperature anomalies within the spinel-garnet transition zone. Rare tholeiitic basalts record temperatures up to 1360$^{\circ}$C. Analysis of global and regional shear wave velocity models closely matches these results. The principal control on continental magmatism appears to be temperature anomalies within the upper mantle beneath thin lithosphere. Highest mantle potential temperatures correlate with largest dynamic uplift. Mantle potential temperatures $ < $1350$^{\circ}$C are matched with minimal or negative dynamic topography.

The Black Rock volcanic cluster consists of 30 small volume monogenetic volcanoes. The volcanoes of this cluster have exhibited bimodal volcanism for > 9 Ma. The most recent eruption of Ice Springs volcano ~600 yrs. ago along with ongoing geothermal activity attests to the usefulness of a hazard assessment for this area. The likelihood of a future eruption in this area is estimated to be between a 0.16 and 24% chance over the next 1 Ka (95% confidence). The explosivity and nature of many of these eruptions is not well known. In particular, the physical volcanology of Tabernacle Hill suggests a complicated episodic eruption. Initial phreatomagmatic eruptions at Tabernacle Hill are reported to have begun no later than ~14 Ka. The initial eruptive phase produced a tuff cone approximately 150 m high and 1.5 km in diameter with distinct bedding layers. Recent mapping and sampling of Tabernacle Hill's lava and tuff cone deposits was aimed at better constraining the sequence of events, physical volcanology, and energy associated with this eruption. Blocks located on the rim of the tuff cone of were mapped and analyzed to yield preliminary minimum muzzle velocities of 60-70 m s-1. After the initial phreatomagmatic explosions, the eruption style transitioned to a more effusive phase that partially filled the tuff cone with a semi-steady state lava lake 200 m wide and 15 m deep. Eventually, the tuff cone was breached by the impinging lava resulting in large portions of the cone rafting on top of the lava flows away from the vent. Eruption onto the Lake Bonneville lake bed allowed the Tabernacle Hill lava flows to flow radially from the tuff cone and cover an area of 19.35 km², producing a very uniform high aspect ratio (100:1) flow field. Subsequent eruptive phases cycled several times between effusive and explosive, producing scoria cones and more lava flows, culminating in an almost complete drainage of the lava lake through large lava tubes and drain back.

Intraplate volcanism is a worldwide phenomenon producing volcanoes away from active plate boundaries, a process that cannot yet be sufficiently explained by plate tectonic processes, and thus is still a missing piece in the understanding of the dynamics and evolution of our planet. Models for the formation of intraplate volcanism are dominated by mantle plumes, but alternative explanations, such as adiabatic decompression triggered by lithospheric delamination, and edge driven convection (EDC), could be responsible for magmatism. This dissertation explores intraplate volcanic locations that do not fit the mantle plume model, and presents geochemical evidence for lithospheric delamination and edge driven convection for the cause of volcanism. I studied an Eocene volcanic swarm exposed in the Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province of Virginia and West Virginia, which are the youngest known igneous rocks along the Eastern North American Margin (ENAM). These magmas provide the only window into the most recent deep processes contributing to the post-rift evolution of this margin. This study presents the first high precision 40Ar/39Ar ages along with new geochemical data, and radiogenic isotopes that constrain the melting conditions and the timing of emplacement. Modeling of the melting conditions suggests that melting occurred under conditions slightly higher than average mantle beneath mid-ocean ridges. Asthenosphere upwelling related to localized lithospheric delamination is a possible process that can explain the intraplate signature of these magmas that lack evidence of a thermal anomaly. The Virginia-West Virginia region of the ENAM also preserves a second post-rift magmatic event in the Late Jurassic. By studying both the Late Jurassic and Eocene magmatic events we can better understand the post-rift evolution of passive margins. This study presents a comprehensive set of geochemical data that includes new 40Ar/39Ar ages, major and trace-element compositions, and analysis of radiogenic isotopes to further constrain their magmatic history. Modeling suggests that the felsic volcanics from both the Late Jurassic and Eocene events are consistent with fractional crystallization. Lithospheric delamination is the best hypothesis for magmatism in Virginia/West Virginia, due to tectonic instabilities that are remnant from the long-term evolution of this margin, resulting in a 'passive-aggressive' margin that records multiple magmatic events long after rifting ended. Finally, Bermuda is an intraplate volcano that has been historically classified as mantle plume related but evidence to support the plume model is lacking. Instead, geophysics have argued that EDC is the best model to explain Bermuda volcanism. This study presents the first geochemical analysis of Bermuda volcanism, and found that Bermuda was built by two different magmatic processes: melting of carbonated peridotite to produce silica under-saturated, trace element enriched volcanics and melting of an enriched upper mantle component that produced silica saturated volcanics. We attribute the cyclicity of silica under-saturated and silica saturated volcanics to EDC melting. / Ph. D. / Intraplate volcanoes are found away from active plate boundaries and cannot be explained by plate tectonics. Most introductory geology textbooks attribute intraplate volcanism to the mantle plume model, where hot material rises buoyantly through the Earth’s mantle from depths near the core-mantle boundary. The associated volcanoes are then found in a linear track, due to plate motion over the stationary mantle plume. The mantle plume model is valid for some locations, such as Hawaii, but cannot explain all intraplate volcanoes. Other localized models such as lithospheric delamination and edge driven convection are needed to explain intraplate volcanism. Lithospheric delamination is a process where the base of the lithosphere (crust and upper mantle) pulls away from the top of the lithosphere due to density contrasts. The delamination of the base of the lithosphere allows for the warmer asthenosphere (mantle beneath the lithosphere) to upwell and produce melts by decompression. Edge driven convection is a process where temperature differences in thick, cold continental crust and thin, warm oceanic crust creates a localized convecting cell in the mantle. This convecting cell is associated with down-welling beneath the continental crust and upwelling beneath the oceanic crust, and associated volcanism would be found on the oceanic crust. In Virginia-West Virginia there are two pulses of intraplate volcanic activity. Chapter 2 of this dissertation explores the geochemistry of the youngest volcanoes of Eastern North America, which are 48 million years old. Combining the geochemistry with the regional geophysics I proposed that lithospheric delamination is a plausible mechanism for these volcanic rocks. Chapter 3 further examines these volcanoes and adds a second pulse of magmatism that occurred 152 million years ago. Lithospheric delamination can also explain the 152 million year old volcanics. Bermuda is an extinct volcanic island found in the Atlantic Ocean, and has been historically explain by the mantle plume model. However, there has been no geochemical data to support the mantle plume model and the geophysical evidence supports edge driven convection. I present the first geochemical analysis of Bermuda’s volcanic pedestal and find that edge driven convection is a more plausible mechanism to account for volcanism.