Editing Supervolcano (section)

== Large igneous provinces ==
[[File:Flood Basalt Map.jpg|thumb|Map of large flood basalt igneous provinces worldwide|400 px]]
{{Main|Large igneous province}}

Large igneous provinces, such as [[Geology of Iceland|Iceland]], the [[Siberian Traps]], [[Deccan Traps]], and the [[Ontong Java Plateau]], are extensive regions of [[basalt]]s on a continental scale resulting from [[flood basalt]] eruptions. When created, these regions often occupy several thousand square kilometres and have volumes on the order of millions of cubic kilometers. In most cases, the lavas are normally laid down over several million years. They release large amounts of gases.

The [[Réunion hotspot]] produced the Deccan Traps about 66&nbsp;million years ago, coincident with the [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]]. The scientific consensus is that [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event|an asteroid impact]] was the cause of the extinction event, but the volcanic activity may have caused environmental stresses on extant species up to the [[Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Deccan volcanism, the Chicxulub impact, and the end-Cretaceous mass extinction: Coincidence? Cause and effect?|last = Keller|first = G|date = 2014|journal = Geological Society of America Special Papers|volume = 505|pages = 57–89|doi = 10.1130/2014.2505(03)|isbn = 9780813725055}}</ref> Some scientists have hypothesised that the  volcanism around the Deccan Traps could have been intensified by the Chicxulub impact, which would have been close to the [[antipodal point]] of the Traps at that time.<ref>Richards, M.A., ''et al.'' "[https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-abstract/127/11-12/1507/126064/Triggering-of-the-largest-Deccan-eruptions-by-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext Triggering of the largest Deccan eruptions by the Chicxulub impact]," GSA Bulletin (2015) 127 (11-12): 1507–1520. Retrieved 4 March 2025.</ref>

Additionally, the largest flood basalt event (the Siberian Traps) occurred around 250&nbsp;million years ago and was coincident with the largest mass extinction in history, the [[Permian–Triassic extinction event]], although it is unknown whether it was solely responsible for the extinction event.

Such outpourings are not explosive, though [[lava fountain]]s may occur. Many volcanologists consider [[Iceland]] to be a large igneous province that is currently being formed. The last major outpouring occurred in 1783–84 from the [[Laki fissure]], which is approximately {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} long. An estimated {{convert|14|km3|cumi|abbr=on}} of basaltic lava was poured out during the eruption (VEI 4).

The Ontong Java Plateau has an area of about {{convert|2000000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, and the province was at least 50% larger before the [[Manihiki Plateau|Manihiki]] and [[Hikurangi Plateau]]s broke away.