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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Kinematic History of a Salient-recess Junction Explored through a Combined Approach of Field Data and Analog Sandbox Modeling
Published on: August 5, 2016
State shift in Deccan volcanism at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, possibly induced by impact
Paul R Renne1, Courtney J Sprain2, Mark A Richards3
1Berkeley Geochronology Center, 2455 Ridge Road, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA. Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. prenne@bgc.org.
Abstract:
Bolide impact and flood volcanism compete as leading candidates for the cause of terminal-Cretaceous mass extinctions. High-precision (40)Ar/(39)Ar data indicate that these two mechanisms may be genetically related, and neither can be considered in isolation. The existing Deccan Traps magmatic system underwent a state shift approximately coincident with the Chicxulub impact and the terminal-Cretaceous mass extinctions, after which ~70% of the Traps' total volume was extruded in more massive and more episodic eruptions. Initiation of this new regime occurred within ~50,000 years of the impact, which is consistent with transient effects of impact-induced seismic energy. Postextinction recovery of marine ecosystems was probably suppressed until after the accelerated volcanism waned.
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