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Linking mantle plumes, large igneous provinces and environmental catastrophes
Stephan V Sobolev1, Alexander V Sobolev, Dmitry V Kuzmin
1Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany. stephan@gfz-potsdam.de
Nature
|September 17, 2011
Summary
Large igneous provinces (LIPs) form from mantle plumes, potentially causing mass extinctions. New models show recycled oceanic crust in plumes explains LIPs and triggers environmental catastrophes.
Area of Science:
- Geosciences
- Geochemistry
- Geodynamics
Background:
- Large igneous provinces (LIPs) are linked to mass extinctions but their formation mechanism, particularly from mantle plumes, is debated.
- The Siberian Traps, a major LIP, formed on thick continental lithosphere, lacking evidence for plume-head uplift or stretching.
- Existing models struggle to explain LIP formation and the scale of associated environmental crises, with CO2 degassing estimates being insufficient.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of recycled oceanic crust in mantle plume heads.
- To develop a thermomechanical model for LIP formation consistent with geological observations.
- To assess the potential of plume-sourced gas emissions to drive mass extinctions.
Main Methods:
- Petrological analysis to identify recycled oceanic crust in plume head models.
- Development of a thermomechanical model simulating plume-lithosphere interaction.
- Integration of model predictions with stratigraphic and geochronological data from LIPs.
Main Results:
- Petrological evidence indicates a significant component (15 wt%) of dense recycled oceanic crust within the plume head.
- The thermomechanical model predicts LIP formation without pre-magmatic uplift or lithospheric extension.
- Model results show extensive plume melting and heterogeneous erosion of thick cratonic lithosphere.
- Massive degassing of CO2 and HCl from recycled crust in the plume head is identified as a potential trigger for mass extinctions.
Conclusions:
- Recycled oceanic crust in mantle plumes provides a viable mechanism for LIP formation on thick cratonic lithosphere.
- Plume-driven massive gas release, not just volcanism, can explain the environmental impact and mass extinctions associated with LIPs.
- The timing of gas release preceding main volcanic phases aligns with geological evidence from the Siberian Traps and other LIPs.
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