Publication

The origin of the Columbia River flood basalt province: Plume versus nonplume models


Publication Date : 2007-01-01
Author : Hooper, P. R.Camp, V. E.Reidel, S. P.Ross, M. E.
Countries :
Disaster Management Theme :
Disaster Type : Flood
Document Type : Research Paper
Languange : en
Link : http://www.mantleplumes.org/P%5E4/P%5E4Chapters/HooperP4AcceptedMS.pdf

Abstact :

As a contribution to the plume-nonplume debate we review the tectonic setting in which huge volumes of monotonous tholeiite of the Columbia River flood basalt province of the Pacific Northwest, USA, were erupted. We record the time-scale and the locations of these eruptions, estimates of individual eruption volumes, and discuss the mechanisms of sheet flow emplacement, all of which bear on the ultimate origin of the province. An exceptionally large chemical and isotopic data base is used to identify the various mantle sources of the basalt and their subsequent evolution in large lower crustal magma chambers. We conclude by discussing the available data in light of the various deep mantle plume and shallow mantle models recently advocated for the origin of this flood basalt province and we argue that the mantle plume model best explains such an exceptionally large volume of tholeiitic basalt erupted over an unusually short period and within such a restricted area.