Flood basalts

Part of Hall of Planet Earth.

Flood Basalts AMNH/R.Mickens

Among the major outpourings of lava are the huge plains known as flood basalt provinces. The Siberian basalts, the Deccan traps of India, and the Karoo basalts of southern Africa are among the largest of these on land; similar vast plains exist in the ocean basins as well. Each province was built up in just a few million years. The enormous amounts of volcanic gases injected into the atmosphere may have led to climate changes that caused global mass extinction events.

Columbia River Flood Basalts Map_ILL
Flood Basalt Provinces Map_ILL
creating-hope---washington-1
A view of the Columbia River Gorge, a series of canyons cut through the Columbia River Flood Basalt Province in eastern Washington state.
photo credit: Jackie Beckett, © American Museum of Natural History
creating-hope---washington-2
Ro Kinzler marks a basalt column for collection in a gully along Hastings Hill Road in Eastern Washington. The column is from the Pamona Flow, a 12 million year old basalt flow of the Columbia River Flood Basalt Province. It fell from the cliff of basalt columns above.
photo credit: Jackie Beckett, © American Museum of Natural History
creating-hope---washington-3
Ro Kinzler notes the size, shape, and texture of the basalt columns loaded on a boom truck. These samples will be transferred to a flatbed truck and shipped east. In the background is a classic example of an outcrop of collumnar basalt.
photo credit: Jackie Beckett, © American Museum of Natural History
creating-hope---washington-5
A view of a cliffside of basalt columns.
photo credit: Jackie Beckett, © American Museum of Natural History

In This Section

Exhibit Columns of lava As laval cools, the rock contracts.