connected to the lithosphere unlike some other intraplate volcanoes such as the Hawaii island chain, which are rooted in the asthenosphere. One mechanism for the creation of these volcanoes is the flaking off of the base of Zealandia's lower lithosphere into the asthenosphere. Zealandia has a thin lithosphere as it has been extended while rafting away from Australia. If large sections of this already thin lithosphere sank into the asthenosphere, it would be replaced with hotter rock leading to decompression melting. This theoretically could cause volcanic activity that is locked to the moving lithosphere over many millions of years. See also Dunedin Volcano Banks Peninsula Volcano References Geography of Dunedin Extinct volcanoes Shield volcanoes of New Zealand Miocene shield volcanoes Landforms of Otago Polygenetic shield volcanoes Volcanoes of Otago