List of largest volcanic eruptions
Encyclopedia
In a volcanic eruption, lava
, tephra
(volcanic bomb
s, lapilli
, and ash
), and various gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure
. While many eruptions only pose dangers to the immediately surrounding area, Earth
's largest eruptions can have a major regional or even global impact, with some affecting the climate and contributing to mass extinctions. Volcanic eruptions can generally be characterized as either explosive eruption
s, sudden ejections of rock and ash, or effusive eruption
s, relatively gentle outpourings of lava. A separate list is given below for each type.
All of the eruptions listed below have produced at least 1000 km³ (240 cu mi) of lava and tephra; for explosive eruptions, this corresponds to a Volcanic Explosivity Index
(or VEI) of 8. They are at least a thousand times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens which produced only 1 km³ (0.239912758604287 cu mi) of material, and at least six times larger than the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, the largest eruption in recent history, which produced 160 km³ (38 cu mi) of volcanic deposits.
There have probably been many such eruptions during Earth's history beyond those shown in these lists. However erosion
and plate tectonics have taken their toll, and many eruptions have not left enough evidence for geologists to establish their size. Even for the eruptions listed here, estimates of the volume erupted can be subject to considerable uncertainty.
s, the eruption of magma
is driven by the rapid release of pressure, often involving the explosion of gas previously dissolved within the material. The most famous and destructive historical eruptions are mainly of this type. An eruptive phase can consist of a single eruption, or a sequence of several eruptions spread over several days, weeks or months. Explosive eruptions usually involve thick, highly viscous
felsic
magma, high in volatiles
like water vapor
and carbon dioxide
. Pyroclastic materials are the primary product, typically in the form of tuff
. Eruptions the size of that at Lake Toba
74,000 years ago (2800 km3 or more) occur worldwide every 50,000 to 100,000 years.Certain felsic
provinces, such as the Chon Aike province in Argentina and the Whitsunday igneous province of Australia are not included in this list since they are composed of many separate eruptions that have not been distinguished.
Effusive eruption
s involve a relatively gentle, steady outpouring of lava rather than large explosions. They can continue for years or decades, producing extensive fluid mafic
lava
flows. For example, Kīlauea
on Hawaii
has continued erupting from 1983 to the present, producing 2.7 km³ (0.647764448231574 cu mi) of lava covering more than 100 km² (38.6 sq mi). The largest effusive eruption in history occurred in Iceland
during the 1783–1784 eruption of Laki
, which produced about 15 km³ (4 cu mi) of lava and killed one fifth of Iceland's population. The ensuing disruptions to the climate may also have killed millions elsewhere.
s have produced huge oceanic plateau
s and flood basalt
s in the past. These can comprise hundreds of large eruptions, producing millions of cubic kilometers of lava in total. No large flood basalt
type eruptions have occurred in human history, the most recent having occurred over 10 million years ago. They are often associated with breakup of supercontinent
s such as Pangea in the geologic record, and may have contributed to a number of mass extinctions. Most large igneous provinces have either not been studied thoroughly enough to establish the size of their component eruptions, or are not preserved well enough to make this possible. Many of the eruptions listed above thus come from just two large igneous provinces: the Paraná and Etendeka traps
and the Columbia River Basalt Group
. The latter is the most recent large igneous province, and also one of the smallest. A list of large igneous provinces follows to provide some indication of how many large eruptions may be missing from the lists given here.
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
, tephra
Tephra
200px|thumb|right|Tephra horizons in south-central [[Iceland]]. The thick and light coloured layer at center of the photo is [[rhyolitic]] tephra from [[Hekla]]....
(volcanic bomb
Volcanic bomb
A volcanic bomb is a mass of molten rock larger than 65 mm in diameter, formed when a volcano ejects viscous fragments of lava during an eruption. They cool into solid fragments before they reach the ground. Because volcanic bombs cool after they leave the volcano, they do not have grains...
s, lapilli
Lapilli
Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. Lapilli means "little stones" in Latin. They are in some senses similar to ooids or pisoids in calcareous sediments.By definition lapilli range...
, and ash
Volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact...
), and various gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure
Fissure vent
A fissure vent, also known as a volcanic fissure or simply fissure, is a linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts, usually without any explosive activity. The vent is usually a few meters wide and may be many kilometers long. Fissure vents can cause large flood basalts and lava channels...
. While many eruptions only pose dangers to the immediately surrounding area, Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's largest eruptions can have a major regional or even global impact, with some affecting the climate and contributing to mass extinctions. Volcanic eruptions can generally be characterized as either explosive eruption
Explosive eruption
An explosive eruption is a volcanic term to describe a violent, explosive type of eruption. Mount St. Helens in 1980 was an example. Such an eruption is driven by gas accumulating under great pressure. Driven by hot rising magma, it interacts with ground water until the pressure increases to the...
s, sudden ejections of rock and ash, or effusive eruption
Effusive eruption
An effusive eruption is a volcanic eruption characterized by the outpouring of lava onto the ground...
s, relatively gentle outpourings of lava. A separate list is given below for each type.
All of the eruptions listed below have produced at least 1000 km³ (240 cu mi) of lava and tephra; for explosive eruptions, this corresponds to a Volcanic Explosivity Index
Volcanic Explosivity Index
The Volcanic Explosivity Index was devised by Chris Newhall of the U.S. Geological Survey and Stephen Self at the University of Hawaii in 1982 to provide a relative measure of the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions....
(or VEI) of 8. They are at least a thousand times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens which produced only 1 km³ (0.239912758604287 cu mi) of material, and at least six times larger than the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, the largest eruption in recent history, which produced 160 km³ (38 cu mi) of volcanic deposits.
There have probably been many such eruptions during Earth's history beyond those shown in these lists. However erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
and plate tectonics have taken their toll, and many eruptions have not left enough evidence for geologists to establish their size. Even for the eruptions listed here, estimates of the volume erupted can be subject to considerable uncertainty.
Explosive eruptions
In explosive eruptionExplosive eruption
An explosive eruption is a volcanic term to describe a violent, explosive type of eruption. Mount St. Helens in 1980 was an example. Such an eruption is driven by gas accumulating under great pressure. Driven by hot rising magma, it interacts with ground water until the pressure increases to the...
s, the eruption of magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
is driven by the rapid release of pressure, often involving the explosion of gas previously dissolved within the material. The most famous and destructive historical eruptions are mainly of this type. An eruptive phase can consist of a single eruption, or a sequence of several eruptions spread over several days, weeks or months. Explosive eruptions usually involve thick, highly viscous
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
felsic
Felsic
The word "felsic" is a term used in geology to refer to silicate minerals, magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium....
magma, high in volatiles
Volatiles
In planetary science, volatiles are that group of chemical elements and chemical compounds with low boiling points that are associated with a planet's or moon's crust and/or atmosphere. Examples include nitrogen, water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen, and methane, all compounds of C, H, O...
like water vapor
Water vapor
Water vapor or water vapour , also aqueous vapor, is the gas phase of water. It is one state of water within the hydrosphere. Water vapor can be produced from the evaporation or boiling of liquid water or from the sublimation of ice. Under typical atmospheric conditions, water vapor is continuously...
and carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
. Pyroclastic materials are the primary product, typically in the form of tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
. Eruptions the size of that at Lake Toba
Lake Toba
Lake Toba is a lake and supervolcano. The lake is 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres at its deepest point. Located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about , the lake stretches from to...
74,000 years ago (2800 km3 or more) occur worldwide every 50,000 to 100,000 years.Certain felsic
Felsic
The word "felsic" is a term used in geology to refer to silicate minerals, magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium....
provinces, such as the Chon Aike province in Argentina and the Whitsunday igneous province of Australia are not included in this list since they are composed of many separate eruptions that have not been distinguished.
| Volcano—Eruption | Age (Ma)Dates are an average of the range of dates of volcanics, listed in annum, where Ma=1,000,000 years ago. | Location | Volume (km3)These volumes are estimated total volumes of tephra ejected. If the available sources only report a dense rock equivalent volume, the number is italicized but not converted into a tephra volume. | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guarapuava —Tamarana—Sarusas | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
8,600 | |||
| Santa Maria—Fria | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
7,800 | |||
| Guarapuava —Ventura | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
7,600 | |||
| Sam Ignimbrite and Green Tuff | Yemen | 6,800 | Volume includes 5550 km³ of distal tuffs. This estimate is uncertain to a factor of 2 or 3. | ||
| Goboboseb–Messum volcanic centre—Springbok quartz latite unit | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... , Brazil and Namibia |
6,340 | |||
| Caxias do Sul—Grootberg | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
5,650 | |||
| La Garita Caldera La Garita Caldera La Garita Caldera is a large volcanic caldera located in the San Juan volcanic field in the San Juan Mountains near the town of Creede in southwestern Colorado, United States. It lies to the west of the town of La Garita, Colorado... —Fish Canyon tuff Fish Canyon tuff The Fish Canyon tuff is the volcanic deposit resulting from one of the largest known explosive eruptions on Earth, estimated at 5,000 cubic kilometers. The eruption was centered at La Garita Caldera in southwest Colorado... |
San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... , Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
5,000 | Commonly regarded as the largest tuff Tuff Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered... ever measured on Earth, or largest confidently-measured tuff on earth. It is part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma. |
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| Jacui—Goboboseb II | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
4,350 | |||
| Ourinhos—Khoraseb | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
3,900 | |||
| Jabal Kura'a Ignimbrite | Yemen | 3,800 | Volume estimate is uncertain to a factor of 2 or 3. | ||
| Windows Butte tuff | William's Ridge, central Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
3,500 | Part of the Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up The Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up, as the name implies, is a dramatic period of volcanic eruptions in mid-Tertiary time, approximately 25-40 million years ago, centered in the western United States... |
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| Anita Garibaldi—Beacon | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
3,450 | |||
| Indian Peak Caldera Complex—Wah Wah Springs tuff | Eastern Nevada/Western Utah | 3,200 | Indian Peak Caldera Complex total volume over 10,000 cubic km, Wah Wah Springs tuff being the largest | ||
| Oxaya ignimbrites | Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
3,000 | Really a regional correlation of many ignimbrites originally thought to be distinct | ||
| Lund Tuff | Great Basin Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the... , USA |
3,000 | Similar in composition to the Fish Canyon Tuff | ||
| Lake Toba Lake Toba Lake Toba is a lake and supervolcano. The lake is 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres at its deepest point. Located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about , the lake stretches from to... —Youngest Toba Tuff |
Sunda Arc, Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... |
2,800 | Largest eruption on earth in at least the last 25 million years, responsible for the Toba catastrophe theory Toba catastrophe theory The Toba supereruption was a supervolcanic eruption that occurred some time between 69,000 and 77,000 years ago at Lake Toba . It is recognized as one of the Earth's largest known eruptions... , a population bottleneck Population bottleneck A population bottleneck is an evolutionary event in which a significant percentage of a population or species is killed or otherwise prevented from reproducing.... of the human species |
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| Pacana Caldera Pacana Caldera La Pacana Caldera is the most important caldera of the La Pacana Complex in the Antofagasta Region, northern of Chile, East of the Salar de Atacama. The La Pacana Complex belongs to the Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex... —Atana ignimbrite |
Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
2,800 | Forms a resurgent caldera. | ||
| Iftar Alkalb—Tephra 4 W | Afro-Arabian | 2,700 | |||
| Yellowstone caldera Yellowstone Caldera The Yellowstone Caldera is the volcanic caldera located in Yellowstone National Park in the United States, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The caldera is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, in which the vast majority of the park is contained. The major features of... —Huckleberry Ridge Tuff Huckleberry Ridge Tuff The Huckleberry Ridge Tuff is a tuff formation created by the Huckleberry Ridge eruption that formed the Island Park Caldera that lies partially in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming and stretches westward into Idaho into a region known as Island Park... |
Yellowstone hotspot Yellowstone hotspot The Yellowstone hotspot, also referred to as the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone hotspot, is a volcanic hotspot responsible for large scale volcanism in Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming, United States. It created the eastern Snake River Plain through a succession of caldera forming eruptions... |
2,450 | Largest Yellowstone eruption on record | ||
| Whakamaru | Taupo Volcanic Zone Taupo Volcanic Zone The Taupo Volcanic Zone is a highly active volcanic V shaped area in the North Island of New Zealand that is spreading east -west at the rate of about 8mm per year... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
2,000 | Largest in the Southern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"... in the Late Quaternary Quaternary The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present... |
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| Palmas BRA-21—Wereldsend | Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
1,900 | |||
| Kilgore tuff | Near Kilgore, Idaho Kilgore, Idaho Kilgore is an unincorporated community on Antelope Valley Road in Clark County, Idaho, United States.It is the nearest community to Camas Meadows Battle Sites, a National Historic Landmark.... |
1,800 | Last of the eruptions from the Heise volcanic field | ||
| Sana'a Ignimbrite—Tephra 2W63 | Afro-Arabian | 1,600 | |||
| Millbrig eruptions—Bentonite Bentonite Bentonite is an absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate, essentially impure clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite. There are different types of bentonite, each named after the respective dominant element, such as potassium , sodium , calcium , and aluminum . Experts debate a number of nomenclatorial... s |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... , exposed in Northern Europe and Eastern US |
1,509Also the site of 972 and 943 km³ (233.2 and 226.2 cumi) eruptions. | One of the oldest large eruptions preserved | ||
| Blacktail tuff | Blacktail, Idaho | 1,500 | First of several eruptions from the Heise volcanic field | ||
| Emory Caldera—Kneeling Nun tuff | Southwestern New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... |
1,310 | |||
| Timber Mountain tuff | Southwestern Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
1,200 | Also includes a 900 cubic km tuff as a second member in the tuff | ||
| Paintbrush tuff (Topopah Spring Member) | Southwestern Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
1,200 | Related to a 1000 cubic km tuff (Tiva Canyon Member) as another member in the Paintbrush tuff | ||
| Bachelor—Carpenter Ridge tuff | San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... |
1,200 | Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma |
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| Bursum—Apache Springs Tuff | Southern New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... |
1,200 | Related to a 1050 cubic km tuff, the Bloodgood Canyon tuff | ||
| Taupo Volcano Taupo Volcano Lake Taupo, in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island is not recognised as such by most people, but it is actually the Caldera of a large rhyolitic volcano... —Oruanui eruption Oruanui eruption The Oruanui eruption of New Zealand's Taupo Volcano was the world's largest known eruption in the past 70,000 years, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8... |
Taupo volcanic zone Taupo Volcanic Zone The Taupo Volcanic Zone is a highly active volcanic V shaped area in the North Island of New Zealand that is spreading east -west at the rate of about 8mm per year... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
1,170 | Most recent VEI 8 eruption | ||
| Huaylillas Ignimbrite | Bolivia | 1,100 | Predates half of the uplift of the central Andes Andes The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated... |
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| Bursum—Bloodgood Canyon tuff | Southern New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... |
1,050 | Related to a 1200 cubic km tuff, the Apache Springs tuff | ||
| Yellowstone Caldera Yellowstone Caldera The Yellowstone Caldera is the volcanic caldera located in Yellowstone National Park in the United States, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The caldera is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, in which the vast majority of the park is contained. The major features of... —Lava Creek Tuff Lava Creek Tuff Lava Creek Tuff is a tuff formation, in Wyoming, created when the Yellowstone Caldera erupted about 640,000 years ago.The Lava Creek Tuff distributed in a radial pattern around the caldera and is formed of of ash in pyroclastic flows.... |
Yellowstone hotspot Yellowstone hotspot The Yellowstone hotspot, also referred to as the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone hotspot, is a volcanic hotspot responsible for large scale volcanism in Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming, United States. It created the eastern Snake River Plain through a succession of caldera forming eruptions... |
1,000 | Last large eruption in the Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho... area |
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| Cerro Galán Galán Cerro Galán is a caldera in Catamarca Province, Argentina, considered to be the best exposed large caldera in the world. It was formed 2.2 million years ago when 1,050 km3 of material was erupted, producing ignimbrite deposits stretching up to 100 km away... |
Catamarca Province Catamarca Province Catamarca is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. The province has a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km². Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are : Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, and La Rioja... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
1,000 | Elliptical caldera is ~35 km wide | ||
| Paintbrush tuff (Tiva Canyon Member) | Southwestern Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
1,000 | Related to a 1200 cubic km tuff (Topopah Spring Member) as another member in the Paintbrush tuff | ||
| San Juan—Sapinero Mesa Tuff | San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... |
1,000 | Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma |
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| Uncompahgre—Dillon & Sapinero Mesa Tuffs | San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... |
1,000 | Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma |
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| Platoro—Chiquito Peak tuff | San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... |
1,000 | Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma |
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| Mount Princeton Mount Princeton Mount Princeton is one of the fourteeners of the US state of Colorado. It lies in the Collegiate Peaks, in the central part of the Sawatch Range, just west of the Arkansas River. While not one of the highest peaks of the Sawatch, it is one of the most dramatic, as it rises over 6,500 feet from the... —Wall Mountain tuff |
Thirtynine Mile volcanic area, Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
1,000 | Helped cause the exceptional preservation at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a United States National Monument in Teller County, Colorado, that is noted for its fossils. It is located in a mountain valley just west of Pikes Peak and holds spectacular remnants of prehistoric life... |
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Effusive eruptions
Effusive eruption
An effusive eruption is a volcanic eruption characterized by the outpouring of lava onto the ground...
s involve a relatively gentle, steady outpouring of lava rather than large explosions. They can continue for years or decades, producing extensive fluid mafic
Mafic
Mafic is an adjective describing a silicate mineral or rock that is rich in magnesium and iron; the term is a portmanteau of the words "magnesium" and "ferric". Most mafic minerals are dark in color and the relative density is greater than 3. Common rock-forming mafic minerals include olivine,...
lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
flows. For example, Kīlauea
Kilauea
Kīlauea is a volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, and one of five shield volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaii. Kīlauea means "spewing" or "much spreading" in the Hawaiian language, referring to its frequent outpouring of lava. The Puu Ōō cone has been continuously erupting in the eastern...
on Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
has continued erupting from 1983 to the present, producing 2.7 km³ (0.647764448231574 cu mi) of lava covering more than 100 km² (38.6 sq mi). The largest effusive eruption in history occurred in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
during the 1783–1784 eruption of Laki
Laki
Łąki may refer to the following places in Poland:*Łąki, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Łąki, West Pomeranian Voivodeship *Łąki, Lublin Voivodeship...
, which produced about 15 km³ (4 cu mi) of lava and killed one fifth of Iceland's population. The ensuing disruptions to the climate may also have killed millions elsewhere.
| Eruption | Age (Ma) | Location | Volume (km3) |
Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahabaleshwar–Rajahmundry Traps (Upper) | Deccan traps Deccan Traps The Deccan Traps are a large igneous province located on the Deccan Plateau of west-central India and one of the largest volcanic features on Earth. They consist of multiple layers of solidified flood basalt that together are more than thick and cover an area of and a volume of... , India |
9,300 | |||
| Wapshilla Ridge flows | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
5,000–10,000 | Member comprises 8–10 flows with a total volume of ~50,000 km3 | ||
| McCoy Canyon flow | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
4,300 | |||
| Umtanum flows | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
2,750 | Two flows with a total volume of 5,500 km3 | ||
| Sand Hollow flow | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
2,660 | |||
| Pruitt Draw flow | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
2,350 | |||
| Museum flow | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
2,350 | |||
| Moonaree Dacite | Gawler Range Volcanics, Australia | 2,050 | One of the oldest large eruptions preserved | ||
| Rosalia flow | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
1,900 | |||
| Joseph Creek flow | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
1,850 | |||
| Ginkgo Basalt | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
1,600 | |||
| California Creek—Airway Heights flow | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
1,500 | |||
| Stember Creek flow | Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... , United States |
1,200 |
Large igneous provinces
Highly active periods of volcanism in what are called large igneous provinceLarge igneous province
A Large Igneous Province is an extremely large accumulation of igneous rocks—intrusive, extrusive, or both—in the earth's crust...
s have produced huge oceanic plateau
Oceanic plateau
An oceanic plateau is a large, relatively flat submarine region that rises well above the level of the ambient seabed. While many oceanic plateaus are composed of continental crust, and often form a step interrupting the continental slope, some plateaus are undersea remnants of large igneous...
s and flood basalt
Flood basalt
A flood basalt or trap basalt is the result of a giant volcanic eruption or series of eruptions that coats large stretches of land or the ocean floor with basalt lava. Flood basalts have occurred on continental scales in prehistory, creating great plateaus and mountain ranges...
s in the past. These can comprise hundreds of large eruptions, producing millions of cubic kilometers of lava in total. No large flood basalt
Flood basalt
A flood basalt or trap basalt is the result of a giant volcanic eruption or series of eruptions that coats large stretches of land or the ocean floor with basalt lava. Flood basalts have occurred on continental scales in prehistory, creating great plateaus and mountain ranges...
type eruptions have occurred in human history, the most recent having occurred over 10 million years ago. They are often associated with breakup of supercontinent
Supercontinent
In geology, a supercontinent is a landmass comprising more than one continental core, or craton. The assembly of cratons and accreted terranes that form Eurasia qualifies as a supercontinent today.-History:...
s such as Pangea in the geologic record, and may have contributed to a number of mass extinctions. Most large igneous provinces have either not been studied thoroughly enough to establish the size of their component eruptions, or are not preserved well enough to make this possible. Many of the eruptions listed above thus come from just two large igneous provinces: the Paraná and Etendeka traps
Paraná and Etendeka traps
The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago...
and the Columbia River Basalt Group
Columbia River Basalt Group
The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California...
. The latter is the most recent large igneous province, and also one of the smallest. A list of large igneous provinces follows to provide some indication of how many large eruptions may be missing from the lists given here.
| Igneous province | Age (Ma) | Location | Volume (millions of km3) | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontong Java–Manihiki–Hikurangi Plateau | 121 | Southwest Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World... |
This is the volume of crustal thickening, so the figure includes intrusive as well as extrusive deposits. | Largest igneous body on Earth, later split into three widely separated oceanic plateaus, with a fourth component perhaps now accreted Accretion (geology) Accretion is a process by which material is added to a tectonic plate or a landmass. This material may be sediment, volcanic arcs, seamounts or other igneous features.-Description:... onto South America. Possibly linked to the Louisville hotspot Louisville hotspot The Louisville hotspot is a volcanic hotspot responsible for the volcanic activity that has formed the Louisville seamount chain in the southern Pacific Ocean.-Location:... . |
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| Kerguelen Plateau Kerguelen Plateau The Kerguelen Plateau is an underwater volcanic large igneous province , also the microcontinent and submerged continent in the southern Indian Ocean. It lies about 3,000 km to the southwest of Australia and is nearly three times the size of Japan... –Broken Ridge |
112 | South Indian Ocean Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and... , Kerguelen Islands Kerguelen Islands The Kerguelen Islands , also known as the Desolation Islands, are a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean constituting the emerged part of the otherwise submerged Kerguelen Plateau. The islands, along with Adélie Land, the Crozet Islands and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands are part of... |
Linked to the Kerguelen hotspot Kerguelen hotspot The Kerguelen hotspot is a volcanic hotspot at the Kerguelen Plateau in the Southern Indian Ocean. The Kerguelen hotspot has produced basaltic lava for about 130 million years and has also produced the Kerguelen Islands, Heard Island, the McDonald Islands, and the Ninetyeast Ridge.... . Volume includes Broken Ridge and the Southern and Central Kerguelen Plateau (produced 120–95 Ma), but not the Northern Kerguelen Plateau (produced after 40 Ma). |
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| North Atlantic Igneous Province North Atlantic Igneous Province The North Atlantic Igneous Province is a large igneous province estimated to be at least 1.3 km2 in area and 6.6 km3 in volume. Geographically, the NAIP makes up all of the North Atlantic Ocean as well as the Paleocene and Eocene basalts of Greenland, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway... |
55.5 | North Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area... |
Actually several provinces, ranging in size from 1.5 to 6.6 million km3 | Linked to the Iceland hotspot Iceland hotspot The Iceland hotspot is a hotspot which is partly responsible for the high volcanic activity which has formed the island of Iceland.-Description:... . |
|
| Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up The Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up, as the name implies, is a dramatic period of volcanic eruptions in mid-Tertiary time, approximately 25-40 million years ago, centered in the western United States... |
32.5 | Southwest United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... : mainly in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico |
Mostly andesite Andesite Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,... to rhyolite Rhyolite This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic... explosive (.5 km3) to effusive (5 km3) eruptions, 25–40 Ma. Includes many volcanic centers, including the San Juan volcanic field San Juan volcanic field The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is... . |
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| Caribbean large igneous province Caribbean large igneous province The Caribbean large igneous province consists of a major flood basalt, which created this large igneous province. It is the source of the current large eastern Pacific oceanic plateau, of which the Caribbean-Colombian oceanic plateau is the tectonized remnant. The deeper levels of the plateau have... |
88 | Caribbean-Colombian oceanic plateau | Linked to the Galápagos hotspot Galápagos hotspot The Galápagos hotspot is a volcanic hotspot in the East Pacific Ocean responsible for the creation of the Galapagos Islands as well as three major aseismic ridge systems, Carnegie, Cocos and Malpelso which are on two tectonic plates. The hotspot is located near the Equator on the Nazca Plate not... . |
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| Siberian Traps Siberian Traps The Siberian Traps form a large region of volcanic rock, known as a large igneous province, in the Russian region of Siberia. The massive eruptive event which formed the traps, one of the largest known volcanic events of the last 500 million years of Earth's geological history, continued for... |
249.4 | Siberia Siberia Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Possibly the largest outpouring of lava on land ever recorded, thought to have caused Permian-Triassic extinction, largest mass extinction event ever. | ||
| Karoo-Ferrar Karoo-Ferrar Karoo and Ferrar denote a major geologic province consisting of flood basalt, which mostly covers South Africa and Antarctica, although portions extend further into southern Africa and into South America, India, Australia and New Zealand... |
183 | Mainly Southern Africa and Antarctica. Also South America, India, Australia and New Zealand | Formed as Gondwana Gondwana In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,... broke up |
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| Paraná and Etendeka traps Paraná and Etendeka traps The Paraná-Etendeka traps comprise a large igneous province which includes both the main Paraná traps as well as the smaller severed portions of the flood basalts at the Etendeka traps in Namibia and Angola. The original basalt flows occurred 128 to 138 million years ago... |
133 | Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... /Angola Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city... and Namibia Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March... |
Linked to the Tristan hotspot Tristan hotspot The Tristan hotspot is a volcanic hotspot which is responsible for the volcanic activity which forms the volcanoes in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is thought to have formed the island of Tristan da Cunha and the Walvis Ridge on the African Plate.... |
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| Central Atlantic Magmatic Province Central Atlantic Magmatic Province The Central Atlantic magmatic province is a large connected magma flow formed during the breakup of Pangaea during the Mesozoic Era. The initial breakup of Pangaea in early Jurassic time provided a legacy of basaltic dikes, sills, and lavas over a vast area around the present central North... |
200 | Laurasia Laurasia In paleogeography, Laurasia was the northernmost of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from approximately... continents |
Formed as Pangea broke up | ||
| Deccan Traps Deccan Traps The Deccan Traps are a large igneous province located on the Deccan Plateau of west-central India and one of the largest volcanic features on Earth. They consist of multiple layers of solidified flood basalt that together are more than thick and cover an area of and a volume of... |
65.5 | Deccan Plateau Deccan Plateau The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in India, making up the majority of the southern part of the country. It rises a hundred meters high in the north, rising further to more than a kilometers high in the south, forming a raised triangle nested within the familiar downward-pointing triangle of... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
May have helped kill the dinosaurs. | ||
| Emeishan Traps Emeishan Traps The Emeishan Traps constitute a flood basalt volcanic province, or large igneous province, in southwestern China, centered in Sichuan province. It is sometimes referred to as the Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province or variations of that term.... |
256.5 | Southwestern China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
Along with Siberian Traps Siberian Traps The Siberian Traps form a large region of volcanic rock, known as a large igneous province, in the Russian region of Siberia. The massive eruptive event which formed the traps, one of the largest known volcanic events of the last 500 million years of Earth's geological history, continued for... , may have contributed to the Permian–Triassic extinction event. |
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| Coppermine River Group | 1267 | Mackenzie Large Igneous Province Mackenzie Large Igneous Province The Mackenzie Large Igneous Province is a major Mesoproterozoic large igneous province of the southwestern, western and northwestern Canadian Shield in Canada. It consists of a group of related igneous rocks that were formed during a massive igneous event starting about 1,270 million years ago... /Canadian Shield Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history... |
Consists of at least 150 individual flows. | ||
| Afro-Arabian flood volcanism | 28.5 | Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2... /Yemen Yemen The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east.... /Afar Afar Region Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction.... , Arabian-Nubian Shield Arabian-Nubian Shield The Arabian-Nubian Shield is an exposure of Precambrian crystalline rocks on the flanks of the Red Sea. The crystalline rocks are mostly Neoproterozoic in age. Geographically - and from north to south - the ANS includes the nations of Israel, Jordan. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Eritrea,... |
Associated with silicic, explosive tuffs | ||
| Columbia River Basalt Group Columbia River Basalt Group The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California... |
16 | Pacific Northwest Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Well exposed by Missoula Floods Missoula Floods The Missoula Floods refer to the cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington and down the Columbia River Gorge at the end of the last ice age. The glacial flood events have been researched since the 1920s... in the Channeled Scablands Channeled scablands The Channeled Scablands are a unique geological erosion feature in the U.S. state of Washington. They were created by the cataclysmic Missoula Floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington and down the Columbia River Plateau during the Pleistocene epoch. Geologist J Harlen Bretz coined... . |
See also
- Supervolcano#Massive explosive eruptions
- Large igneous provinceLarge igneous provinceA Large Igneous Province is an extremely large accumulation of igneous rocks—intrusive, extrusive, or both—in the earth's crust...
- Types of eruptions