Large igneous provinces

Abstract

Catastrophic massive volcanism and contemporaneous environmental change have punctuated Earth history for at least the past 3.5 billion years. Geodynamic and magmatic processes associated with large igneous province (LIP) formation interact with crustal structure and tectonic setting to produce various expressions of LIPs, the most common of which are oceanic plateaus, magma‐dominated divergent continental margins, and continental flood basalts. Environmental and biotic perturbations simultaneous with LIP formation include climate changes, mass extinctions, accelerated evolutionary rates, oceanic anoxic events (OAEs), and variations in ocean chemistry. Exploring these relationships promises exciting science.The LIP workshop, hosted by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) and Joint Oceanographic Institutions, was held at the University of Ulster in Coleraine, U.K. Eighty scientists from 16 nations discussed strategies for advancing understanding of LIPs and associated environmental changes using the three new IODP platforms and related technologies. Over 4 days of plenary and breakout sessions, including examination of the UNESCO World Heritage Giant's Causeway exposure of the North Atlantic LIP, scientists who approach LIPs through field, laboratory, and modeling studies shared their understanding of the world's LIPs; discussed outstanding problems related to LIP origin, emplacement, and environmental consequences; and outlined a global mission to address these problems via drilling in conjunction with complementary geoscientific studies.