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Flood basalt volcanism during the past 250 million yearsA chronology of the initiation dates of major continental flood basalt volcanism is established from published potassium-argon (K-Ar) and argon-argon (Ar-Ar) ages of basaltic rocks and related basic intrusions. The dating is therefore independent of the biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic time scales. Estimated errors of the initiation dates of the volcanic episodes determined from the distributions of the radiometric ages are, approximately, + or - 4 percent. There were 11 distinct episodes during the past 250 million years. Sometimes appearing in pairs, the episodes have occurred quasi-periodically with a mean cycle time of 32 + or - 1 (estimated error of the mean) million years. The initiation dates of the episodes are close to the estimated dates of mass extinctions of marine organisms. Showers of impacting comets may be the cause.
Document ID
19880062526
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Rampino, Michael R.
(NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies; New York University NY, United States)
Stothers, Richard B.
(NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies New York, United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
August 5, 1988
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 241
ISSN: 0036-8075
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
88A49753
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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