Critical evaluation of the age of the Deccan Traps, India; implications for flood-basalt volcanism and faunal extinctions

Attempts to evaluate the possible link between flood-basalt volcanism and the faunal extinctions observed at the K/T boundary must rely on precise knowledge of the amount of such volcanism that took place 65 Ma. The current geochronological data do not permit close resolution of either the timing or...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geology (Boulder) 1987-02, Vol.15 (2), p.147-150
Main Author: Baksi, Ajoy K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absolute age
age
Ar/Ar
Asia
basalts
Cenozoic
Cretaceous
dates
Deccan Traps
geochronology
igneous and metamorphic rocks
igneous rocks
India
Indian Peninsula
K/Ar
lava
lower Tertiary
mass extinctions
Mesozoic
Paleogene
Petrology
stratigraphic boundary
Stratigraphy
Tertiary
Upper Cretaceous
volcanic rocks
volcanism
volcanology
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Summary:Attempts to evaluate the possible link between flood-basalt volcanism and the faunal extinctions observed at the K/T boundary must rely on precise knowledge of the amount of such volcanism that took place 65 Ma. The current geochronological data do not permit close resolution of either the timing or the duration of Deccan volcanism; the age of the bulk of the material is placed in the range 70-60 Ma. Further resolution of this hypothesis awaits acquisition of high-quality 40Ar-39Ar plateau ages on key sections of the Deccan Traps.
ISSN:0091-7613
1943-2682
DOI:10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<147:CEOTAO>2.0.CO;2