Spatio-temporal volume recalibration shows Deccan volcanism caused Terminal Cretaceous Mass Extinction
Abstract The recognition of Deccan flood basalts as a causal mechanism for the Terminal Cretaceous Mass Extinction has been contentious. Our computation of their spatio-temporal distribution reiterates that ~1.5 million km3 of the Deccan flood basalts erupted in <700 k.y., during Chron C29r (66.31–65.73 Ma) straddling the 66.05 Ma Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (KPgB). Unlike earlier projections, we demonstrate that ~70% of these lavas erupted in the terminal Maastrichtian before the KPgB. The toxic degassing of the lavas in the ~300 k.y. prior to the KPgB set the stage for mass extinction. The early Danian lavas contributed to the delayed biotic recovery.
Authors
- Shilpa Patil Pillai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9681-6423)
- Vivek Kale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5587-2418)
- Gauri Dole (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3107-5163)
- Devdutt Upasani
- Madhu Rajput
Institutions
- Fergusson College (IN)
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (IN)
- Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (IN)
- Savitribai Phule Pune University (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Geological Society of America Bulletin
- Published
- 2025-11-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1130/b38412.1
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.33
Funders
- Indian Institute of Science
- Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali