Abstract
Thick flood basalt lava flows cool conductively inward from their tops and bases, usually developing columnar jointing. Although relatively rapid cooling in such flows due to meteoric water circulation has been previously demonstrated, mixing of the surface crust with the interior – as observed in active lava lakes – has not been shown. Here we report large radial columnar jointing structures (rosettes) with cores of highly brecciated, weathered and amygdaloidal material within Deccan flood basalt lava flows. The morphology of such breccia-cored rosettes, petrographic observations, and geochemical data, particularly Nd–Sr isotopic ratios, all suggest that the features formed due to the sinking of the flow-top breccia crusts into these flows’ molten interiors and the resultant warping of isotherms around these “cold anchors”. Thus, cooling in some thick flood basalt lava flows may be accelerated by sinking of cooler upper crusts into hotter, molten interiors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Agashe LV, Gupte RB (1971) Mode of eruption of the Deccan Trap basalts. Bull Volcanol 35:591–601
Bear AN, Cas RAF (2007) The complex facies architecture and emplacement sequence of a Miocene submarine mega-pillow lava flow system, Muriwai, North Island, New Zealand. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 160:1–22
Bondre NR, Duraiswami RA, Dole G (2004a) Morphology and emplacement of flows from the Deccan volcanic province, India. Bull Volcanol 66:29–45
Bondre NR, Duraiswami RA, Dole G (2004b) A brief comparison of lava flows from the Deccan volcanic province and the Columbia-Oregon Plateau flood basalts: implications for models of flood basalt emplacement. In: Sheth HC, Pande K (eds) Magmatism in India through time. Proc Ind Acad Sci (Earth Planet Sci) 113:809–817
Budkewitsch P, Robin P-Y (1994) Modelling the evolution of columnar joints. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 59:219–239
Chandrasekharam D, Parthasarathy A (1978) Geochemical and tectonic studies on the coastal and inland Deccan Trap volcanics and a model for the evolution of Deccan Trap volcanism. Neues Jahrb Miner Abh 132:214–229
Cox KG, Hawkesworth CJ (1985) Geochemical stratigraphy of the Deccan Traps at Mahabaleshwar, Western Ghats, India, with implications for open system magmatic processes. J Petrol 26:355–377
De A (1996) Entablature structure in Deccan Trap flows: its nature and probable mode of origin. Gondwana Geol Mag 2:439–447
DeGraff JM, Aydin A (1987) Surface morphology of columnar joints and its significance to mechanics and direction of joint growth. Geol Soc Am Bull 99:605–617
DePaolo DJ (1987) Neodymium isotope geochemistry. Springer, New York
Devey CW, Lightfoot PC (1986) Volcanological and tectonic control of stratigraphy and structure in the western Deccan Traps. Bull Volcanol 48:195–207
Dole G, Bondre N, Duraiswami RA, Kale VS (2002) Discussion on ‘Arterial system of lava tubes and channels within Deccan volcanics of western India’ by K. S. Misra. J Geol Soc Lond 60:597–599
Duffield WA (1972) A naturally occurring model of global plate tectonics. J Geophys Res 77:2543–2555
Duraiswami RA, Bondre NR, Dole G (2005) The Songir structure: inflated lava flow or tube? J Geol Soc Ind 65:357–365
Duraiswami RA, Bondre NR, Managave S (2008) Morphology of rubbly pahoehoe (simple) flows from the Deccan volcanic province: implications for style of emplacement. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 177:822–836
Gilbaud M, Self S, Thordarson Th, Blake S (2005) Morphology, surface structures, and emplacement of lavas produced by Laki, A. D. 1783–1784. In: Manga M, Ventura G (eds) Kinematics and dynamics of lava flows. Geol Soc Am Spec Pap 396:81–102
Greeley R, Fagents SA, Harris RS, Kadel SD, Williams DA (1998) Erosion by flowing lava: field evidence. J Geophys Res 103:27325–27345
Grossenbacher KA, McDuffie SM (1995) Conductive cooling of lava: columnar joint diameter and stria width as functions of cooling rate and thermal gradient. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 69:95–103
Harris AJL, Flynn LP, Rothery DA, Oppenheimer C, Sherman SB (1999) Mass flux measurements at active lava lakes: implications for magma recycling. J Geophys Res 104:7117–7136
Jay AE, Widdowson M (2008) Stratigraphy, structure and volcanology of the SE Deccan continental flood basalt province: implications for eruptive extent and volumes. J Geol Soc Lond 165:177–188
Jay AE, Widdowson M (2009) New palaeomagnetic data from the Mahabaleshwar Plateau, Deccan flood basalt province, India: implications for the volcanostratigraphic architecture of continental flood basalt provinces. J Geol Soc Lond 166:13–24
Kale VS, Kulkarni HC, Peshwa VV (1992) Discussion on a geological map of the southern Deccan Traps, India and its structural implications. J Geol Soc Lond 149:473–475
Keszthelyi LP, Self S (1998) Some physical requirements for the emplacement of long basaltic lava flows. J Geophys Res 103:27447–27464
Lightfoot PC, Hawkesworth CJ, Devey CW, Rogers NW, van Calsteren PWC (1990) Source and differentiation of Deccan Trap lavas: implications of geochemical and mineral chemical variations. J Petrol 31:1165–1200
Long PE, Wood BJ (1986) Structures, textures, and cooling histories of Columbia River basalt flows. Geol Soc Am Bull 97:1144–1155
Lyle P (2000) The eruption environment of multi-tiered columnar basalt lava flows. J Geol Soc Lond 157:715–722
Misra KS (2002) Arterial system of lava tubes and channels in Deccan volcanics of western India. J Geol Soc Ind 59:115–124
Mitchell C, Widdowson M (1991) A geological map of the southern Deccan Traps, India and its structural implications. J Geol Soc Lond 148:495–505
Ollier CD, Sheth HC (2008) The High Deccan duricrusts of India and their significance for the ‘laterite’ issue. J Earth Syst Sci 117:537–551
Philpotts AR, Dickson LD (2000) The formation of plagioclase chains during convective transfer in basaltic magma. Nature 406:59–61
Philpotts AR, Dickson LD (2002) Millimeter-scale modal layering and the nature of the upper solidification zone in thick flood-basalt flows and other sheets of magma. J Struct Geol 24:1171–1177
Philpotts AR, Ague JJ (2009) Principles of igneous and metamorphic petrology, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, New York, 667 pp
Raczek I, Stoll B, Hofmann AW, Jochum KP (2001) High-precision trace element data for the USGS reference materials BCR-1, BCR-2, BHVO-1, BHVO-2, AGV-1, AGV-2, DTS-1, DTS-2, GSP-1 and GSP-2 by ID-TIMS and MIC-SSMS. Geostand Newslett: J Geostand Geoanal 25:77–86
Scheidegger AE (1978) The tectonic significance of joints in the Canary Islands. Rock Mech 11:69–85
Sengupta P, Ray A (2006) Primary volcanic structures from a type section of Deccan Trap flows around Narsingpur-Harrai-Amarwara, central India: implications for cooling history. J Earth Syst Sci 115:631–642
Sheth HC (2006) The emplacement of pahoehoe lavas on Kilauea and in the Deccan Traps. J Earth Syst Sci 115:615–629
Sheth HC, Mahoney JJ, Chandrasekharam D (2004) Geochemical stratigraphy of flood basalts of the Bijasan Ghat section, Satpura Range, India. J Asian Earth Sci 23:127–139
Stovall WK, Houghton BF, Harris AJL, Swanson DA (2009) A frozen record of density-driven crustal overturn in lava lakes: the example of Kilauea Iki 1959. Bull Volcanol 71:313–318
Spry A (1962) The origin of columnar jointing, particularly in basalt flows. J Austr Geol Soc 8:191–216
Subbarao KV, Hooper PR (Compilers) (1988) Reconnaissance map of the Deccan Basalt Group in the Western Ghats, India. In: Subbarao KV (ed) Deccan flood basalts. Geol Soc Ind Mem 10:enclosure
Tanaka T, Togashi S, Kamioka H, Amakawa H, Kagami H, Hamamoto T, Yuhara M, Orihashi Y, Yoneda S, Shimizu H, Kunimaru T, Takahashi K, Yanagi T, Nakano T, Fujimaki H, Shinjo R, Asahara Y, Tanimizu M, Dragusanu C (2000) JNdi-1: a neodymium isotopic reference in consistency with La Jolla neodymium. Chem Geol 168:279–281
Verma SP, Torres-Alvarado IS, Sotelo-Rodriguez ZT (2002) SINCLAS: standard igneous norm and volcanic rock classification system. Comp Geosci 28:711–715
Waters AC (1960) Determining directions of flow in basalts. Am J Sci 258A:350–366
Wilson SA (1997) Data compilation for USGS reference material BHVO-2, Hawaiian basalt. US Geological Survey Open File Report
Weis D, Kieffer B, Maershalk C, Pretorius W, Barling J (2005) High-precision Pb-Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic characterization of USGS BHVO-1 and BHVO-2 reference materials. Geochem Geophys Geosyst 6. doi: 1029/2004GC000852
Acknowledgments
We thank Vilas Bhosale, Vinit Phadnis and Cliff Ollier for company and assistance on various field trips, and Deepak Joshi, Alok Kumar, Anil D. Shukla and Shilpa Netrawali for help with the isotopic, XRF and ICP measurements. The XRF used at PRL is a part of the PLANEX facilities of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Very intensive discussions with Ninad Bondre are greatly appreciated, and discussions with Stephen Self have also been helpful. We thank Jyotisankar Ray for his kind invitation to contribute this paper to this volume. The paper was significantly improved and tightened by the reviews of Gautam Sen and Surendra Pal Verma. Senthil Kumar thanks the Director, NGRI for permission to publish this paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sheth, H.C., Ray, J.S., Kumar, P.S., Duraiswami, R.A., Chatterjee, R.N., Gurav, T. (2011). Recycling of Flow-Top Breccia Crusts into Molten Interiors of Flood Basalt Lava Flows: Field and Geochemical Evidence from the Deccan Traps. In: Ray, J., Sen, G., Ghosh, B. (eds) Topics in Igneous Petrology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9600-5_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9600-5_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-9599-2
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-9600-5
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)