Origin, Evolution, Environmental Impact of Oceanic LIPs

Book excerpt: The origin, evolution, and environmental impact of large igneous provinces (LIPs) represents a topic of high scientific importance because the magmatism associated with these features cannot be directly related to plate tectonics, and because the eruption of flood basalts may have global environmental consequences. Oceanic LIPs are even more poorly understood due to their relative inaccessibility. This volume takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding LIP origin, evolution, and environmental impact in ocean basins. Papers that focus on plate tectonic reconstructions, petrologic and geophysical investigations of various LIPs, and sedimentological and micropaleontological evidence of syn-LIP sediments are presented. Precious materials and data from dredging cruises and scientific ocean drilling expeditions have made this volume possible.