Developing from a Geological Society of America symposium (held during the 1998 annual meeting in Toronto), this collection of 19 articles devoted to mantle plumes reflects the study of those from the older record. The papers are grouped into themes dealing with plumes and their geological expression, Mesozoic and Cenozoic plume-related large igneous provinces, examples from Mars and Venus, a review of locating techniques, early Precambrian plumes and related iron formations, rifts, and large mafic magmatic events. Individual paper topics consider carbonatites as a signature of plume activity, various major ore deposits and their relationship to plumes, a comparative study of tectonics and magmatism on Earth and on Mars, and the spatial relationship between three mantle hotspots. Both editors are with the Geological Survey of Canada. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)