Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Deccan flood basalts and the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Courtillot et al.1 have presented palaeomagnetic, palaeontological and K–Ar data for the Deccan flood basalts which suggest that > 106 km3 of basalt may have been erupted in < 1 Myr, mostly in a reversed magnetic chron. This chron is argued to be 29R, the one which contains the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. Here we aim to test the hypothesis1–5 that the Deccan basalts could be responsible for events observed at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary by studying the 40Ar/39Ar ages of samples with a wide geographic distribution. Many samples have been altered too extensively to yield plateau ages, but we have made five successful determinations. Considered with earlier6 and concurrent7 results, our data confirm that the bulk of the Deccan eruptions occurred in a short time, between 65 and 69 Myr, probably coincident with the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Courtillot, V. et al. Earth Planet. sci. Lett. 80, 361–374 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Vogt, P. R. Nature 240, 338 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. McLean, D. M. in Evolutionary Biology Vol. 19 (ed. Hecht, M. K., Wallace, B. & Prance, G. T.) 287–313 (Plenum, New York, 1985).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. Officer, C. B. & Drake, C. L. Science 219, 1383–1390 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Courtillot, V. & Cisowski, S. Eos 68, 193–200 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kaneoka, I. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 46, 233–243 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Duncan, R. A. & Pyle, D. G. Nature 333, 841–843 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Merrihue, C. & Turner, G. J. geophys. Res. 71, 2852–2857 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Baksi, A. K. Geology 15, 147–150 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Venkatesan, T. R., Pande, K. & Gopalan, K. J. geol. Soc. India 27, 102–109 (1986).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Féraud, G., Gastaud, J., Auzende, J. M., Olivet, J. L. & Cornen, G. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 57, 211–226 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Costa, S. & Maluski, H. Chem. Geol. isotop. Sci. 72, (in the press).

  13. Mahoney, J. J. in Continental Flood Basalts (ed. MacDougall, J. D.) (Reidel, Dordrecht, in the press).

  14. Buffetaut, E. Newsl. Stratigr. 18, 1–6 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Prasad, G. V. R., Sahni, A. & Gupta, J. Geosci. J. 7, 163–180 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Vianey-Liaud, M., Jain, S. L. & Sahni, A. J. vert. Paleont. 7, 408–424 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Sahni, A. Mém. Soc. Géol. France 147, 125–137 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Féraud, G. et al. Eos 69, 341 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Beane, J. E., Turner, C. A., Hooper, P. R., Subbarao, K. V. & Walsh, J. N. Bull. volcan. 48, 1–33 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Gwalani, L. G. Geol. Surv. Ind. Spec. Pub. 12, 319–325 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Cox, A. V. A Geologic Time Scale (ed. Harland, W. B. et al.) 63–84 (Cambridge University Press, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Berggren, W. A., Kent, D. V., Flynn, J. F. & Van Couvering, J.A. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 96, 1407–1418 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Devey, C. W. & Lightfoot, P. C. Bull. volcan. 48, 61–83 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Courtillot, V. Eos 69, 301 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Courtillot, V. & Besse, J. Science 237, 1140–1147 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Physique du Globe, Géomagnétisme et Paléomagnétisme (UA CNRS 729), Laboratoire de Paléomagnétisme et Géodynamique, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    V. Courtillot, D. Vandamme, M. G. Moreau & J. Besse

  2. Université de Nice, Laboratoire de Géologic et Géochimie (UA CNRS 725), Pare Valrose, 06034, Nice Cedex, France

    G. Féraud

  3. Université de Montpellier, Département de Géologic Structurale, Place Bataillon, 34060, Montpellier Cedex, France

    H. Maluski

Authors
  1. V. Courtillot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Féraud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Maluski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D. Vandamme
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. G. Moreau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. Besse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Courtillot, V., Féraud, G., Maluski, H. et al. Deccan flood basalts and the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. Nature 333, 843–846 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/333843a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/333843a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation