Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 100. Continental flood basalts, volcanic passive margins, and oceanic plateaus represent the largest known volcanic episodes on our planet, yet they are not easily explained by plate tectonics. Indeed, some are likely to record periods when the outward transfer of material and energy from the Earth's interior operated in a significantly different mode than at present. In recent years, interest in large-scale mafic magmatism has surged as high-precision geochronological, detailed geochemical, and increasingly sophisticated geophysical data have become available for many provinces. However, the sheer amount of recent material, often in the form of detailed collaborative research projects, can overwhelm newcomers to the field and experts alike as the literature continues to grow dramatically. The need for an up-to-date review volume on a sizable subset of the major continental and oceanic flood basalt provinces, termed large igneous provinces, was recognized by the Commission on Large-Volume Basaltic Provinces (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior), and the co-editors were charged with organizing and implementing such a volume. We hope that this volume will be valuable to researchers and graduate students worldwide, particularly to petrologists, geochemists, geochronologists, geodynamicists, and plate-tectonics specialists; it may also interest planetologists, oceanographers, and atmospheric scientists.

This book is Open Access. A digital copy can be downloaded for free from Wiley Online Library. Exploring the links between Large Igneous Provinces and dramatic environmental impact An emerging consensus suggests that Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) and Silicic LIPs (SLIPs) are a significant driver of dramatic global environmental and biological changes, including mass extinctions. Environmental changes caused by LIPs and SLIPs include rapid global warming, global cooling ('Snowball Earth'), oceanic anoxia events, mercury poisoning, atmospheric and oceanic acidification, and sea level changes. Continued research to characterize the effects of these extremely large and typically short duration igneous events on atmospheric and oceanic chemistry through Earth history can provide lessons for understanding and mitigating modern climate change. Large Igneous Provinces: A Driver of Global Environmental and Biotic Changes describes the interactions between the effects of LIPs and other drivers of climatic change, the limits of the LIP effect, and the atmospheric and oceanic consequences of LIPs in significant environmental events. Volume highlights include: Temporal record of large igneous provinces (LIPs) Environmental impacts of LIP emplacement Precambrian, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic case histories Links between geochemical proxies and the LIP record Alternative causes for environmental change Key parameters related to LIPs and SLIPs for use in environmental change modelling Role of LIPs in Permo-Triassic, Triassic-Jurassic, and other mass extinction events The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

Gondwana, comprising more than 64% of the present day continental mass, is home to 33% of large igneous provinces (LIPs) and key to understanding the lithosphere–atmosphere system and related tectonics that influenced global climate and sediment production on Earth. Gondwana has many of the largest LIPs, with areas of 200 000 to 2 000 000 km2. Several Gondwana LIPs erupted near active continental margins as well as within continents. The rifting of continents continued even after LIP emplacement or was aborted by a coeval compression and did not open into an ocean. Important contemporary frontiers include understanding significant amounts of synchronous silicic volcanic rocks in mafic LIPs, bringing better stratigraphic constraints supported by precise age dating and volume estimation of LIPs, the possible link between LIP emplacement and biotic crisis, refinement of the existing petrogenetic models and assessing large eruptions and associated societal risk. This volume covers topics on magma emplacements, petrology and geochemistry, source characteristics, flood basalt–carbonatite linkage, tectonics and geochronology of LIPs distributed in Gondwana continents.

Identification of large-volume, short-duration mafic magmatic events of intraplate affinity in both continental and oceanic settings on the Earth and other planets provides invaluable clues for understanding several vital geological issues of current concern. Of particular importance is understanding the assembly and dispersal of supercontinents through Earth’s history, dramatic climate change events including mass extinctions, and processes that have produced a wide range of large igneous province (LIP)-related resources, such as Ni–Cu–PGE, Au, U, base metals and petroleum. This volume comprises 21 contributions on the latest developments and new information on LIPs and their plumbing systems and presents methodical studies on different components of LIP plumbing systems. These articles are especially helpful in understanding continental break-up events, regional domal uplift and a variety of metallogenic systems, as well as the temporal and spatial distribution of LIPs, their origin and their likely links to mantle plumes/superplumes.

The Early Permian Tarim Large Igneous Province in Northwest China: Tectonics, Petrology, Geochemistry, and Geophysics is the first book to introduce the Early Permian Tarim Large Igneous Province. Based on more than twenty years of study, this book systematically presents time-spatial, geochemical and geodynamic features, along with the metallogenesis and magma evolution of the Early Permian Tarim Large Igneous Province. Furthermore, it provides a new geodynamic model for Large Igneous Provinces. It is intended for researchers and graduate students in tectonics, igneous petrology, geochemistry, geophysics, earth evolution and planetary geology in addition to mining industry professionals. - Provides the temporal-spatial features of the Early Permian Tarim Large Igneous Province using seismic and borehole data - Presents petrological and geochemical features and magma evolution of the rock units in Early Permian Tarim Large Igneous Province - Builds up a new model for Large Igneous Provinces based on the information from the Early Permian Tarim Large Igneous Province

Understanding the Deccan Trap Large Igneous Province in western India is important for deciphering the India–Seychelles rifting mechanism. This book presents 13 studies that address the development of this province from diverse perspectives including field structural geology, geochemistry, analytical modelling, geomorphology and geophysics (e.g., palaeomagnetism, gravity and magnetic anomalies, and seismic imaging). Together, these papers indicate that the tectonics of Deccan is much more complicated than previously thought. Key findings include: the Deccan province can be divided into several blocks; the existence of a rift-induced palaeo-slope; constraints on the eruption period; rift–drift transition mechanisms determined for magma-rich systems; the tectonic role of the Deccan or Réunion plumes; sub-surface structures reported from boreholes; the delineation of the crust–mantle structure; the documentation of sub-surface tectonic boundaries; post-Deccan-Trap basin inversion; deformed dykes around Mumbai, and also from the eastern part of the Deccan Traps, documented in the field.

With its thickness of more than 15 km of strata, covering some 200,000 km2, the Belt basin displays one of the planet's largest, best-exposed, most accessible, and best-preserved sequences of Mesoproterozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks. This volume focuses on research into this world-class province; kindles ideas about this critical era of Earth evolution; and covers aspects of the basin from its paleontology, mineralogy, sedimentology, and stratigraphy to its magmatism, ore deposits, geophysics, and structural geology.

Geologic Time Scale 2020 (2 volume set) contains contributions from 80+ leading scientists who present syntheses in an easy-to-understand format that includes numerous color charts, maps and photographs. In addition to detailed overviews of chronostratigraphy, evolution, geochemistry, sequence stratigraphy and planetary geology, the GTS2020 volumes have separate chapters on each geologic period with compilations of the history of divisions, the current GSSPs (global boundary stratotypes), detailed bio-geochem-sequence correlation charts, and derivation of the age models. The authors are on the forefront of chronostratigraphic research and initiatives surrounding the creation of an international geologic time scale. The included charts display the most up-to-date, international standard as ratified by the International Commission on Stratigraphy and the International Union of Geological Sciences. As the framework for deciphering the history of our planet Earth, this book is essential for practicing Earth Scientists and academics. - Completely updated geologic time scale - Provides the most detailed integrated geologic time scale available that compiles and synthesize information in one reference - Gives insights on the construction, strengths and limitations of the geological time scale that greatly enhances its function and its utility