Lyell Collection
Geological Society, London, Special Publications
Lyell Centre  |   Lyell Collection  |   Subscriptions   |   Geological Society  |   Email alerts  |   Online bookshop  |   Help

Keywords:
Author:
Advanced search>>
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Coffin, M. F.
Right arrow Articles by Eldholm, O.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
GeoRef
Right arrow GeoRef Citation
Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 1992; v. 68; p. 17-30;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.1992.068.01.02
© 1992 Geological Society of London

Magma Generation and Break-Up Processes

Volcanism and continental break-up: a global compilation of large igneous provinces

Millard F. Coffin1 & Olav Eldholm2

1 Institute for Geophysics, The University of Texas at Austin, 8701 Mopac Blvd., Austin, TX 78759-8397, USA
2 Department of Geology, University of Oslo, PO Box 1047, Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway

Large igneous provinces (LIPs) include continental flood basalts and associated intrusive rocks, volcanic passive margins, oceanic plateaus, submarine ridges, seamount groups, and ocean basin flood basalts. In some cases transient episodes of voluminous magmatism are temporally and spatially related to continental break-up, e.g. North Atlantic Volcanic Province, Deccan Traps, Paraná-Etendeka basalts. In other cases, however, no relationships are apparent, e.g. Siberian flood basalts, Columbia River flood basalts. Herein we review LIPs worldwide in order to better understand their relationship to the break-up and separation of lithospheric plates. The two most voluminous episodes known of basaltic magmatism not associated with the creation of ‘normal’ oceanic crust, the emplacements of the Ontong Java and Kerguelen plateaus, do not appear to be linked to continental break-up. Volcanic passive margins have now been identified on the edges of many continents, and are clearly related to continental break-up and separation. They cannot always, however, be tied to continental flood basalts. Ocean basin flood basalts and seamount groups are not commonly related to continental break-up. In most instances submarine ridges show temporal and spatial relationships with continental flood basalt provinces or oceanic plateaus. Observational data suggest that existing models do not adequately explain all LIPs; we suggest that a thermally and chemically heterogeneous asthenosphere, occasionally penetrated by deep mantle plumes, can account for their origin.





This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Geological Society, London, Special PublicationsHome page
N. G. Direen, I. Borissova, H. M. J. Stagg, J. B. Colwell, and P. A. Symonds
Nature of the continent ocean transition zone along the southern Australian continental margin: a comparison of the Naturaliste Plateau, SW Australia, and the central Great Australian Bight sectors
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2007; 282: 239 - 263.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]