The Timing and Extent of the Eruption of the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province: Implications for the End-Permian Environmental Crisis
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Project Report: the Siberian Traps and the End-Permian Mass Extinction
Project Report: The Siberian Traps and the end-Permian mass extinction During the summer of 2008, I spent a month and a half in the field in Arctic Siberia. The eruption of the Siberian Traps ca. 252 million years ago was one of the greatest volcanic cataclysms in the geologic record, and may have been associated with the most severe biotic crisis since the Cambrian radiation. The remnants of this volcanism are exposed along the remote Kotuy River in Siberia (Figure 1). The causes of the end-Permian mass extinction, during which > 90% of marine species vanished forever, remain poorly understood. The apparently coincident eruption of the Siberian Traps large igneous province—which is one of the most voluminous continental flood basalt provinces in Phanerozoic time—has been widely invoked as a potential trigger mechanism for the mass extinction (e.g. Campbell et al., 1992). By traveling to the scene of this ancient eruption in Siberia, I hoped to gather clues to the character and possible environmental consequences of the eruption. I accompanied a small team of scientists from Russia and MIT, including my doctoral advisor (Linda Elkins-Tanton). The Siberian Traps are difficult to reach, and logistics were complex. As shown in Figure Figure 1. White star marks the approximate location of field work in the summer of 2008, along the Kotuy River in Siberia (71°54 N, 102° 7’ E). Figure 2. We used small water craft to navigate the Kotuy River and reach the Siberian Traps volcanic stratigraphy. The cliffs shown here are limestones from the underlying sedimentary sequence. -
Environmental Effects of Large Igneous Province Magmatism: a Siberian Perspective Benjamin A
20 Environmental effects of large igneous province magmatism: a Siberian perspective benjamin a. black, jean-franc¸ois lamarque, christine shields, linda t. elkins-tanton and jeffrey t. kiehl 20.1 Introduction Even relatively small volcanic eruptions can have significant impacts on global climate. The eruption of El Chichón in 1982 involved only 0.38 km3 of magma (Varekamp et al., 1984); the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1993 involved 3–5km3 of magma (Westrich and Gerlach, 1992). Both these eruptions produced statistically significant climate signals lasting months to years. Over Earth’s his- tory, magmatism has occurred on vastly larger scales than those of the Pinatubo and El Chichón eruptions. Super-eruptions often expel thousands of cubic kilo- metres of material; large igneous provinces (LIPs) can encompass millions of cubic kilometres of magma. The environmental impact of such extraordinarily large volcanic events is controversial. In this work, we explore the unique aspects of LIP eruptions (with particular attention to the Siberian Traps), and the significance of these traits for climate and atmospheric chemistry during eruptive episodes. As defined by Bryan and Ernst (2008), LIPs host voluminous (> 100,000 km3) intraplate magmatism where the majority of the magmas are emplaced during short igneous pulses. The close temporal correlation between some LIP eruptions and mass extinction events has been taken as evidence supporting a causal relationship (Courtillot, 1994; Rampino and Stothers, 1988; Wignall, 2001); as geochronological data become increasingly precise, they have continued to indicate that this temporal association may rise above the level of coincidence (Blackburn et al., 2013). Several obstacles obscure the mechanisms that might link LIP magmatism with the degree of global environmental change sufficient to trigger mass extinction. -
Large Igneous Provinces: a Driver of Global Environmental and Biotic Changes, Geophysical Monograph 255, First Edition
2 Radiometric Constraints on the Timing, Tempo, and Effects of Large Igneous Province Emplacement Jennifer Kasbohm1, Blair Schoene1, and Seth Burgess2 ABSTRACT There is an apparent temporal correlation between large igneous province (LIP) emplacement and global envi- ronmental crises, including mass extinctions. Advances in the precision and accuracy of geochronology in the past decade have significantly improved estimates of the timing and duration of LIP emplacement, mass extinc- tion events, and global climate perturbations, and in general have supported a temporal link between them. In this chapter, we review available geochronology of LIPs and of global extinction or climate events. We begin with an overview of the methodological advances permitting improved precision and accuracy in LIP geochro- nology. We then review the characteristics and geochronology of 12 LIP/event couplets from the past 700 Ma of Earth history, comparing the relative timing of magmatism and global change, and assessing the chronologic support for LIPs playing a causal role in Earth’s climatic and biotic crises. We find that (1) improved geochronol- ogy in the last decade has shown that nearly all well-dated LIPs erupted in < 1 Ma, irrespective of tectonic set- ting; (2) for well-dated LIPs with correspondingly well-dated mass extinctions, the LIPs began several hundred ka prior to a relatively short duration extinction event; and (3) for LIPs with a convincing temporal connection to mass extinctions, there seems to be no single characteristic that makes a LIP deadly. Despite much progress, higher precision geochronology of both eruptive and intrusive LIP events and better chronologies from extinc- tion and climate proxy records will be required to further understand how these catastrophic volcanic events have changed the course of our planet’s surface evolution. -
Gondwana Large Igneous Provinces (Lips): Distribution, Diversity and Significance
Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on September 25, 2021 Gondwana Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs): distribution, diversity and significance SARAJIT SENSARMA1*, BRYAN C. STOREY2 & VIVEK P. MALVIYA3 1Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226007, India 2Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand 324E Mayur Residency Extension, Faridi Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226016, India *Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Gondwana, comprising >64% of the present-day continental mass, is home to 33% of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) and is key to unravelling the lithosphere–atmosphere system and related tectonics that mediated global climate shifts and sediment production conducive for life on Earth. Increased recognition of bimodal LIPs in Gondwana with significant, sometimes subequal, proportions of synchronous silicic volcanic rocks, mostly rhyolites to high silica rhyolites (±associ- ated granitoids) to mafic volcanic rocks is a major frontier, not considered in mantle plume or plate process hypotheses. On a δ18O v. initial 87Sr/86Sr plot for silicic rocks in Gondwana LIPs there is a remarkable spread between continental crust and mantle values, signifying variable contributions of crust and mantle in their origins. Caldera-forming silicic LIP events were as large as their mafic counterparts, and erupted for a longer duration (>20 myr). Several Gondwana LIPs erupted near the active continental margins, in addition to within-continents; rifting, however, continued even after LIP emplacements in several cases or was aborted and did not open into ocean by coeval com- pression. Gondwana LIPs had devastating consequences in global climate shifts and are major global sediment sources influencing upper continental crust compositions. -
Large Igneous Provinces and Mass Extinctions: an Update
Downloaded from specialpapers.gsapubs.org on April 29, 2015 OLD G The Geological Society of America Special Paper 505 2014 OPEN ACCESS Large igneous provinces and mass extinctions: An update David P.G. Bond* Department of Geography, Environment and Earth Science, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK, and Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway Paul B. Wignall School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK ABSTRACT The temporal link between mass extinctions and large igneous provinces is well known. Here, we examine this link by focusing on the potential climatic effects of large igneous province eruptions during several extinction crises that show the best correlation with mass volcanism: the Frasnian-Famennian (Late Devonian), Capi- tanian (Middle Permian), end-Permian, end-Triassic, and Toarcian (Early Jurassic) extinctions. It is clear that there is no direct correlation between total volume of lava and extinction magnitude because there is always suffi cient recovery time between individual eruptions to negate any cumulative effect of successive fl ood basalt erup- tions. Instead, the environmental and climatic damage must be attributed to single- pulse gas effusions. It is notable that the best-constrained examples of death-by- volcanism record the main extinction pulse at the onset of (often explosive) volcanism (e.g., the Capitanian, end-Permian, and end-Triassic examples), suggesting that the rapid injection of vast quantities of volcanic gas (CO2 and SO2) is the trigger for a truly major biotic catastrophe. Warming and marine anoxia feature in many extinc- tion scenarios, indicating that the ability of a large igneous province to induce these proximal killers (from CO2 emissions and thermogenic greenhouse gases) is the single most important factor governing its lethality. -
Arctic Strategies and Policies
1 Arctic Strategies and Policies Inventory and Comparative Study Lassi Heininen April 2012 Northern Research Forum 2 Arctic Strategies and Policies: Inventory and Comparative Study © Lassi Heininen, 2011; 2nd edition April 2012 Published by: The Northern Research Forum & The University of Lapland Available at: http://www.nrf.is Author: Lassi Heininen, PhD., University of Lapland, Northern Research Forum Editor: Embla Eir Oddsdóttir, The Northern Research Forum Secretariat Photograps: © Embla Eir Oddsdóttir Printing and binding: University of Lapland Press / Stell, Akureyri, Iceland Layout and design: Embla Eir Oddsdóttir Arc c strategies and policies 3 Contents Introduction – 5 Background – 7 Inventory on Arctic Strategies and State Policies – 13 1. Canada – 13 2. The Kingdom of Denmark – 17 3. Finland – 23 4. Iceland – 29 5. Norway – 35 6. The Russian Federation – 43 7. Sweden – 49 8. The United States of America – 53 9. The European Union – 57 Comparative Study of the Arctic Strategies and State Policies – 67 (Re)constructing, (re)defi ning and (re)mapping – 68 Summary of priorities, priority areas and objectives – 69 Comparative study of priorities/priority areas and objectives – 71 International Cooperation – 77 Conclusions – 79 References – 83 Appendix - tables – 91 Northern Research Forum 4 Arc c strategies and policies 5 tors and dynamics, as well as mapping rela- Introduction onships between indicators. Furthermore, it is relevant to study the Arc c states and their policies, and to explore their changing posi- In the early twenty-fi rst century interna onal on in a globalized world where the role of a en on and global interest in the northern- the Arc c has become increasingly important most regions of the globe are increasing, at in world poli cs. -
Ore Deposits and Mantle Plumes
Ore Deposits and Mantle Plumes by Franco Pirajno Geological Survey of Western Australia, Perth, Australia KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS DORDRECHT / BOSTON / LONDON CONTENTS PREFACE XI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XIII INTRODUCTION XVII PART ONE CHAPTER 1 The Earth's Internal Structure and Convection in the Mantle 1 . 1 Introduction 1 .2 Early planetary evolution 2 .3 The Earth's internal structure 5 .3.1. The crust 7 .3.2. The mantle 11 .3.3. The core-mantle boundary (CMB) and D" layer 20 .3.4. The core 25 .4 Convection in the mantle; theories and models 27 .4.1. Theories and dynamics of convection 29 .4.2. Physical parameters of mantle convection 31 .4.3. Whole mantle and two-layers mantle convection models 32 .5 Mantle geochemistry 41 .6 Mantle evolution through time and implications for Earth's history 46 .7 Concluding remarks 53 .8 References CHAPTER 2 Mantle Plumes and Superplumes; Continental Breakups, Supercontinent Cycles and Ore Deposits 59 2.1 Introduction 59 2.2 Hotspots: distribution and relationship to rifting 61 2.3 Laboratory modelling, structure and dynamics of mantle plumes 65 2.4 Doming of the crust (hotspot swells) and associated topographic and drainage features 71 VIII Contents 2.5 Mantle plume-lithosphere interactions and plume-generated melts 77 2.5.1. Crustal stress regimes in response to mantle plumes 85 2.6 Superplumes and continental breakup 86 2.6.1. Gondwana and Rodinia breakups, mantle plumes or plate forces? 90 2.6.2. Supercontinent cycles and ore deposits 94 2.7 The "other side" of the mantle plume theory 100 2.8 Concluding remarks 104 2.9 References 105 CHAPTER 3 Oceanic Islands, Large Igneous Provinces, Mafic Dyke Swarms, and Intracontinental Alkaline Magmatism 111 3.1 Introduction 111 3.2 Oceanic volcanic islands 112 3.2.1. -
MIDCONTINENT RIFT SYSTEM BIBLIOGRAPHY by Steven A
MIDCONTINENT RIFT SYSTEM BIBLIOGRAPHY By Steven A. Hauck December 1995 Technical Report NRRI/TR-95/33 Funded by the Natural Resources Research Institute In Preparation for the 1995 International Geological Correlation Program Project 336 Field Conference in Duluth, MN Natural Resources Research Institute University of Minnesota, Duluth 5013 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth, MN 55811-1442 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................... 1 THE DATABASE .............................................. 1 Use of the PAPYRUS Retriever Program (Diskette) .............. 3 Updates, Questions, Comments, Etc. ......................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................... 4 MIDCONTINENT RIFT SYSTEM BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................... 5 AUTHOR INDEX ................................................. 191 KEYWORD INDEX ................................................ 216 i This page left blank intentionally. ii INTRODUCTION The co-chairs of the IGCP Project 336 field conference on the Midcontinent Rift System felt that a comprehensive bibliography of articles relating to a wide variety of subjects would be beneficial to individuals interested in, or working on, the Midcontinent Rift System. There are 2,543 references (>4.2 MB) included on the diskette at the back of this volume. PAPYRUS Bibliography System software by Research Software Design of Portland, Oregon, USA, was used in compiling the database. A retriever program (v. 7.0.011) for the database was provided by Research Software Design for use with the database. The retriever program allows the user to use the database without altering the contents of the database. However, the database can be used, changed, or augmented with a complete version of the program (ordering information can be found in the readme file). The retriever program allows the user to search the database and print from the database. The diskette contains compressed data files. -
Revised Sequence Stratigraphy of the Ordovician of Baltoscandia …………………………………………… 20 Druzhinina, O
Baltic Stratigraphical Association Department of Geology, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia Natural History Museum of Latvia THE EIGHTH BALTIC STRATIGRAPHICAL CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS Edited by E. Lukševičs, Ģ. Stinkulis and J. Vasiļkova Rīga, 2011 The Eigth Baltic Stratigraphical Conference 28 August – 1 September 2011, Latvia Abstracts Edited by E. Lukševičs, Ģ. Stinkulis and J. Vasiļkova Scientific Committee: Organisers: Prof. Algimantas Grigelis (Vilnius) Baltic Stratigraphical Association Dr. Olle Hints (Tallinn) Department of Geology, University of Latvia Dr. Alexander Ivanov (St. Petersburg) Natural History Museum of Latvia Prof. Leszek Marks (Warsaw) Northern Vidzeme Geopark Prof. Tõnu Meidla (Tartu) Dr. Jonas Satkūnas (Vilnius) Prof. Valdis Segliņš (Riga) Prof. Vitālijs Zelčs (Chairman, Riga) Recommended reference to this publication Ceriņa, A. 2011. Plant macrofossil assemblages from the Eemian-Weichselian deposits of Latvia and problems of their interpretation. In: Lukševičs, E., Stinkulis, Ģ. and Vasiļkova, J. (eds). The Eighth Baltic Stratigraphical Conference. Abstracts. University of Latvia, Riga. P. 18. The Conference has special sessions of IGCP Project No 591 “The Early to Middle Palaeozoic Revolution” and IGCP Project No 596 “Climate change and biodiversity patterns in the Mid-Palaeozoic (Early Devonian to Late Carboniferous)”. See more information at http://igcl591.org. Electronic version can be downloaded at www.geo.lu.lv/8bsc Hard copies can be obtained from: Department of Geology, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia Raiņa Boulevard 19, Riga LV-1586, Latvia E-mail: [email protected] ISBN 978-9984-45-383-5 Riga, 2011 2 Preface Baltic co-operation in regional stratigraphy is active since the foundation of the Baltic Regional Stratigraphical Commission (BRSC) in 1969 (Grigelis, this volume). -
Eu Baltic Sea Strategy
EU BALTIC SEA STRATEGY REPORT FOR THE KONRAD-ADENAUER-STIFTUNG LONDON OFFICE www.kas.de This paper includes résumés and experts views from conferences and seminars facilitated and organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung London and Centrum Balticum. Impressum © Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 2009 All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronical or mechanical, without permission in writing from Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, London office, 63D Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PH. ABBREVIATIONS AC Arctic Council AEPS Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy ALDE Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe BaltMet Baltic Metropoles BCCA Baltic Sea Chambers of Commerce Association BDF Baltic Development Forum BEAC Barents Euro-Arctic Council BEAR Council of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region BENELUX Economic Union of Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg BFTA The Baltic Free Trade Area BSCE Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact BSPC The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference BSR Baltic Sea Region BSSSC Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation CBSS The Council for Baltic Sea States CFSP Common Foreign and Security Policy CEFTA Central European Free Trade Agreement CIS The Commonwealth of Independent States COMECON Council for Mutual Economic Assistance CPMR Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EEA European Economic Area EEC European Economic Community EFTA European Free Trade Agreement EGP European Green Party ENP European -
LETTER Doi:10.1038/Nature10326
LETTER doi:10.1038/nature10326 An ancient recipe for flood-basalt genesis Matthew G. Jackson1 & Richard W. Carlson2 Large outpourings of basaltic lava have punctuated geological (LIPs)—volcanic provinces characterized by anomalously high rates of time, but the mechanisms responsible for the generation of such mantle melting that represent the largest volcanic events in the Earth’s extraordinary volumes of melt are not well known1. Recent geo- history—to determine whether they are associated with a primitive chemical evidence suggests that an early-formed reservoir may (albeit non-chondritic) mantle source. have survived in the Earth’s mantle for about 4.5 billion years Located in the southwestern Pacific, the Ontong Java Plateau (OJP) (ref. 2), and melts of this reservoir contributed to the flood basalt is the largest LIP on the Earth1,6,7. The average e143Nd(t) of these emplaced on Baffin Island about 60 million years ago3–5. However, lavas6,7 plots close to the BIWG lavas (Fig. 1) and within the range the volume of this ancient mantle domain and whether it has con- predicted for the non-chondritic primitive mantle. Excluding the most tributed to other flood basalts is not known. Here we show that incompatible and fluid mobile elements, the OJP lavas have relatively basalts from the largest volcanic event in geologic history—the flat primitive-mantle-normalized trace-element patterns (Fig. 2) sim- Ontong Java plateau1,6,7—also exhibit the isotopic and trace ilar to the relatively flat patterns identified in the two highest 3He/4He element signatures proposed for the early-Earth reservoir2. -
The Siberian Traps and the End-Permian Mass Extinction: a Critical Review (Andy Saunders & Marc Reichow, P
In this issue: The Siberian Traps and the End-Permian mass extinction: A critical review (Andy Saunders & Marc Reichow, p. 20-37) Chinese Science Bulletin © 2009 SCIENCE IN CHINA PRESS Springer NEWS & VIEWS Editor’s note Andy Saunders is currently Professor of Geochemistry in the Department of Geology at the University of Leicester, UK. He received a BSc in Geology (1972) from the University of Sheffield, an MSc in Mineral Chemistry (1973) and PhD in Geology (1976) from the University of Birmingham. He worked as a post-doctoral researcher at Birmingham before taking up a lectureship at Bedford College, University of London, in 1979, and moved to Leicester in 1984. He was made Reader in 1988, and Professor in 1997. He held a visiting Fellowship at the University of Wellington, New Zealand, in 1986. Andy is a renowned igneous petrologist and geochemist. He has published over 130 original research papers in leading international journals such as Nature, Science, Geology, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal of Petrology, Contributions to Petrology and Mineralogy, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Chemical Geology etc. For most of his research career, Andy has investigated the formation of igneous rocks, particularly basalts. Initially, the topic of interest was active and ‘fossil’ back-arc basins in South America and the Scotia Arc, and then island arc and continental arc magmatism. After a brief sojourn into ocean islands, he began working on large igneous provinces, addressing both their formation and environmental impact. This work has taken him to Madagascar, the Solomon Islands, Russia and China, and has involved ocean drilling in the North Atlantic Ocean.