Palaeomagnetism of the Deccan Flood Basalts

Abstract

THE Deccan Trap formations, of late Mesozoic–early Tertiary age, encompass a considerable part of peninsular India. These colossal lava flows are believed, much like the Tertiary lavas of Iceland, Mull and Skye, to have extruded sub-aerially. But the questions of their source and mode of eruption, and of their age and the time span of their eruption, are still debated1–4. Their palaeomagnetism has also been extensively studied5. But even the results of these studies have no simple interpretation.