What is a Large Igneous Province?
A large igneous province is a region of the Earth’s surface where a series of large eruptions over a geologically short time period (~1 million years) has resulted in a thick layer of volcanic rock covering the surface. Many scientists believe that large igneous provinces are caused by mantle plumes, where magma plumes from deep beneath the ground rise close to the surface, like the bubbles in a lava lamp. These are sometimes also called flood basalt events or flood basalt provinces, because most of the rock deposited is basalt. When a mantle plume approaches the surface, the magma is under compression. Pressure builds up and volcanic eruptions occur. More than a million cubic kilometers of volcanic material may be released by a large igneous province. Some percentage of the material, usually between 5% and 20%, is released pyroclastically, that is, ejected into the air violently. The rest slowly oozes out of the large igneous province as lava. Often, large igneous provinces do not ori
