Deccan Traps
The Deccan Traps are a vast volcanic province in western India, built from successive flood-basalt eruptions around the end of the Cretaceous Period.
Flood basalt: A thick sequence of basaltic lava formed by exceptionally large, widespread eruptions. The Deccan Traps are one of the largest flood-basalt provinces on Earth.
Cretaceous: The geological period from about 145 to 66 million years ago, preceding the Paleogene. Most Deccan eruptions occurred near the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary.
Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event: The mass extinction about 66 million years ago that eliminated roughly three-quarters of species, including non-avian dinosaurs. Deccan eruptions overlapped the extinction, though their contribution remains debated.
Mahabaleshwar: A hill station in Maharashtra, India, situated within the Deccan Traps. Its exposed cliffs display stacked basalt flows in the province.
Deccan volcanism: The sequence of volcanic eruptions that produced the Deccan Traps. This names the eruptive activity behind the province’s stacked lava flows.
Réunion hotspot: A volcanic hotspot in the Indian Ocean associated with the Réunion mantle plume. The plume’s track has been linked to the origin of Deccan volcanism.
Chicxulub impact: The asteroid impact that formed Mexico’s Chicxulub crater about 66 million years ago. It offers a sudden, independent cause of the same extinction interval.
Ajanta Caves: A complex of Buddhist rock-cut monuments in Maharashtra, excavated into Deccan basalt. The caves show how the province’s basalt shaped human-made landscapes.
Basalt: A dark, fine-grained volcanic rock rich in iron and magnesium. Basalt makes up the province’s immense, layered lava formations.
Indian Plate: A tectonic plate carrying the Indian subcontinent and parts of the surrounding ocean floor. Its motion over the Réunion hotspot may have helped position the eruptions.