Satellite-derived marine gravity data are used in conjunction with underway bathymetric and magnetic anomaly profiles to investigate four sparsely explored systems in the Southern Ocean. These systems illustrate three different stages of ridge-hotspot interaction in which a migrating spreading center approaches a hotspot (Pacific-Antarctic/Louisville), passes over or is captured by the hotspot (Mid-Atlantic/Shona-Discovery), and ultimately migrates away from the hotspot (Southeast Indian/Kerguelen). All of these systems show some evidence of discrete ridge jumps in the direction of the hotspot as the spreading center attempts to relocate toward the hotspot by asymmetric spreading. A simple model predicts that typical plume excess temperatures can weaken the lithosphere sufficiently to promote asymmetric spreading and possibly allow a discrete ridge jump.